Part time jobs can be a desirerable way of balancing work and personal commitments of students. If you want to work part time, you should consider the right to be treated fairly compared with the full-time employment.
What is a part-time employee?
A part-time employee is a person who works fewer hours than the usual full-time worker. A lot of people mistakenly consider that full-time job involves 40 hours a week and less than 40 hours is part time employment. Nevertheless, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define part-time employment or full-time employment and only requires that overtime pay be paid after 40 working hours within a workweek.
Thus, how many hours is the matter generally based upon agreement between companies and employees. There are many employers cap that who works 40 hours or over is a full time basis employee and part time employment is less than 40 hours per week.
In case full time employees work over 40 hours, they’ll be paid “overtime”. Employee will get the common hourly rate plus 1/2 more for each hour over 40. For example, if your hourly rate is 7$/hour and you work for 45hours in a week, you will get (7$*40 + (7+3.5)$*5)= 332.5 $
A part time worker also can earn overtime same as full-time employee. After they’ve worked their hours (in the agreement with company) plus some more to make over 40 hours, Employee will get the common hourly rate plus 1/2 more for each hour over 40. For example, if your hourly rate is 7$/hour and in agreement you have to work 30h/week. This week, you work for 43hours, you will get (7$*40 + (7+3.5)$*3)= 311.5 $
A salaried employee does not have any standard hours like employee who earns an hourly wage. Thus, a salaried employee won’t get paid any overtime even they work over 40 hours weekly. However, they will receive their full salary if they only work 30 hours every week.
Why choose to work part time
There are many reasons why people choose working part time. It might be that they have caring responsibilities, or they want a different work-life balance, or students want to supplement their income during term-time. Changing numerous hours you’re employed might generate a large affects to your work-life balance.
Special type of Part time job
Jobsharing
Jobsharing arrangement is a special type of part time job since a full-time work is divided between two part-time workers. The full-time work can be divided in a variety of ways to best suit anyone’s situation. A jobshare offers the benefit to both employees and employer of predictable hours. For more information about Jobsharing.
Term-time working
Term-time working is a special type of part-time job where employee can reduce working hours or take time off during school holidays. Term-time working is designed to help parents work only when their children are at school. Term-time working gives parents average 13 weeks of time off per year and get unpaid, allowing these parents to be at home with their children during Christmas, summer, and Easter holidays, as well as during all half-term breaks. Unfortunately, there are not many companies offer e Term-time working, so not many parents can swing it. For more information about Term-time working.
Part-time Job protection
Part-time employees are protected under the same statutory employment rights as the full-time workers. Workers do not need to work a minimum hours to qualify for employment rights.
Equivalent full-time employees
In order to know that part-time employee is being treated less favourably than the full-time employee, we should compare that part-time worker to an ‘equivalent’ full-time employee. This means that we find someone performing a similar work on the same type of contract.
If workers just changed to part-time working in the same role, then they are able to compare the part-time agreements with the previous full-time contract. It also applies to employees who are returning part-time after maternity leave.
At work, part-time workers should be received the same treatment as an equivalent full-timer, so any employment terms, job benefits, and opportunities or conditions open to full-timers should also be available to part-time employees. The positive aspects are normally ‘pro rata’, consequently they must be compared for part-time employees’ hours. To illustrate, whether an equivalent full-timer receives a £2,000 bonus and part-time employee work half of time, part-time worker should get a £1,000 bonus.
However, not all pro-rata can benefit to part-time workers. For example, golf club membership can only be given to full-time workers.
Common less favourable treatment examples
Rates of pay
Part-time employees get at least the same hourly pay rate as a full-time workers doing a similar jobs.
If you are a part-time worker, you may not get overtime pay until you work over the same hours of a full-timer.
Pension Benefits and Opportunities
Full-timer and part-timer should have same permission to access to pension schemes. Also, company benefits (such as employee discounts, company cars, health insurance, profit share, share options) should be given “pro rata” if possible.
Training and Career Development
Part-timer can’t be excluded from opportunities of training and career development. Training must be scheduled at the times that suit most employees, including part-time workers.
Holidays
All employees have the same right to a minimum amount of annual holiday. Many employers give more than the statutory minimum amount of holiday and part-time workers should not be treated less favourably.
It is unfavourable treatment if the employers round down the number of days given. But fractions of a day may be given as hours.
The employers can control when you take your holiday. Thus, employers can ask you take bank holidays from that entitlement when they coincide with your working days.