A part time employee has conventionally worked less than a 40 hour work week. Today, though, some employers count employees as full-time if they work 30, 32, or 36 hours a week.

Fewer needed work hours is considered a non-standard benefit in some agencies. Consequently, the definition of a part-time employee will vary from organization to organization.

In several organizations, one differentiation between full-time and part-time employees is eligibility for benefits such as health insurance, paid time off (PTO), paid vacation days, and sick leave. Some agencies enable part-time employees to accumulate a pro-rated set of benefits. In other agencies, part-time status makes an employee ineligible for any benefits.

Part time workers are benefitting from employers’ willingness to consider work schedule options such as flexible schedules and job sharing.

Why Hire Part Time Employee?

Considerable reasons exist for why employers might consider hiring part time employee.

• Many interviewers hire part-time employees to cut down on their costs of labor. They can save substantially by not offering benefits to part-time staff. For a small business owner, hiring first employees, starting with part-time staff is less risky in terms of financial commitment.
• Furthermore, not all jobs need the services of an employee full time. Combining jobs might not fit the employee’s skill set even if the employer had a second part-time job available.
• You might need to consider hiring part-time employees to expand your ability to recruit qualified employees. For instance, a stay at home parent may have the exact qualifications you require, but the individual is just available to work outside of the home from 9 until 3. College students often seek part-time work. Another person may work as a freelance writer but seek the cushion of a part-time job for times when assignments are lean. A retiree may seek part-time work to supplement his income, alleviate boredom, or because he wants to feel gainfully contributing again. (With retirees, employees gain knowledge and a mentor for younger, less experienced staff.)

• Another advantage to hiring part time employees is you have the chance to try an employee out before you commit to hiring him full time. It helps employers assess the individual’s cultural fit, job fit, skills, and ability to learn and contribute.

Cons of Hiring Part Time Employee

• Some interviewers believe that part-time employees are not as committed to their employer and their job.​
• They might also take longer to learn the company culture, how to get work done in the agency and the components of their own job.
• Part time employee is more complex to retain, specifically if the individual wants to work full-time and a full-time job never materializes.

Part-time employees might belong to your agency. The best match occurs when both the employer and the employee see part-time work as a win.