Part-Time Employment Rights
Part-time work not only allows employees extra time for alternative commitments or hobbies, it also helps them reduce their stress levels, spend time with their family and look after any dependents. An important thing to bear in mind is that employees do not have to work a set number of hours before they gain employment rights; part-time employees may work less hours than full-time employees, but they have the same statutory employment rights. This includes the same rights to pay as full-time employees, as well as the same training opportunities, career-breaks and pro-rata holiday entitlement. Employers are also not allowed to discriminate against part-time employees when selecting employees for redundancy.
Although full-time workers normally work around thirty-five hours per week, there is no specific number of hours employees must work to class as either full-time or part-time. Indeed, a part-time worker for one company may work longer hours than a full-time worker for another!
Job-sharing and term-time working are two ways in which part-time employment can greatly benefit family life. Job-sharing involves splitting one position between two part-time employees and term-term working involves reducing the number of hours an employee is required to work during school holidays. In some cases, part-time employees can take school holidays off work to spend with their family.
Please note: any and all changes in working hours must be agreed between employer and employee.
