05 Sep Is there a limit to how many hours I can assign to a part-time employee?
Question: Is there a limit to how many hours I can assign to a part-time employee?
Answer: There’s no specific limit to the number of hours you can assign to a part-time employee, as it’s up to you to decide how many hours employees need to work in a week to be considered full-time. You should abide by the standards you’ve set. So, for example, if you define full-time as working 35 or more hours per week, then you’d want to make sure you were assigning part-time employees fewer than 35 hours in a week.
If you are regularly assigning a part-time employee a full-time schedule—and full-time employees receive additional benefits, such as paid time off—you should consider reclassifying the employee to avoid claims of unfair treatment or discrimination. Also note for certain laws (including the ACA) and for purposes of insurance or retirement plans, benefits will kick in when an employee hits a certain number of hours per week, regardless of whether you internally call them part-time or full-time.
Original content by the HR Support Center. This information is provided with the understanding that Payroll Partners is not rendering legal, human resources, or other professional advice or service. Professional advice on specific issues should be sought from a lawyer, HR consultant or other professional.