What is a part-time worker?

Hiring part-time employees may have many benefits for your business. These workers could help businesses achieve cost savings, introduce flexibility into the office and improve productivity. They can also bring fresh perspectives and a wider range of skills to the workplace.

Part-time vs full-time employment

According to working time regulations, the UK government defines a part-time worker as an employee who works fewer hours than a full-time worker. It states full-time work as being 35 hours or more per week. Per the UK government, there is no specific number of hours that makes someone full- or part-time.

The exact number of hours worked each week can vary from one company to the next, meaning that part-time employees are mainly classed as such in relation to their full-time colleagues.

There are other forms of employment, such as casual contracts, which have their own unique characteristics. Part-time positions can involve working for only a few hours per week.

What are the pros and cons of hiring part-time employees?

You may wish to consider both the pros and cons of hiring part-time employees before advertising job positions. Understanding these factors helps make informed choices about workforce management, ensuring you select the type of employment contract that meets you operational needs.

In the sections below, we address some of the possible advantages and disadvantages of hiring part-time rather than full-time employees.

Recruiting part-time employees may present challenges that need to be addressed for effective workforce management:

Advantages of hiring part-time workers

First, let’s explore some of the advantages of recruiting part-time employees:

Lower costs

Businesses don’t always need to pay for a new full-time staff member, especially if a part-time staff member can complete the same work in less time. Part-time employees also help employers to lower their costs in other ways.

For example, occasionally bringing in part-time staff instead of paying full-time workers overtime may lower costs otherwise spent on wages.

Increase diversity

Businesses can increase the diversity within their workplace by hiring part-time employees, such as:

• Parents
• Carers
• People on career breaks
• Anyone who doesn’t have the time to commit to full-time work

These part-time employees may have other commitments but also have a valuable skill set, expertise and experience gained from previous work.

Introduce flexibility

Part-time work can also offer employees a degree of flexibility. Because of this, part-time work arrangements have the potential to offer employees a better work-life balance. This enables them to manage their personal pursuits and professional responsibilities more effectively.

Flexible work schedules may contribute to improved work-life balance for employees, reducing burnout and increasing job satisfaction.

You could trial introducing flexible hours or remote working opportunities for your part-time workers, since this does not involve committing the entire workforce to a new work schedule. If these employees are successful in the role, then you could consider allowing full-time employees to work from home or to pick their working hours.

Flexible arrangements can also provide greater career development opportunities for part-time employees. It may help them grow within your organisation while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Increased productivity

Part-time employees can help to improve productivity in the workplace through focused efforts during limited hours. A mix of part-time and full-time staff could also help create an engaged workforce, as the combination of flexibility and stability could boost motivation and loyalty among employees.

Part-time employees may also be more motivated at work, as they do not have to work as long and have more recovery time than full-time workers. Part-time workers could also help take the strain off full-time workers, taking on an extra workload and making it easier for full-time workers to take holiday leave.

Disadvantages of hiring part-time employees

In this section, we explore some of the cons of hiring part-time employees:

Organisational difficulties

Managers might face difficulties when it comes to scheduling meetings, meeting deadlines or delegating work, as managing part-time schedules can be time-consuming. As part-time employees work different hours or days of the week, managers may have trouble finding suitable times for team meetings.

Additionally, they might struggle to assign projects that have tight deadlines. You and your management team could work around this challenge by improving communications and setting precise work schedules.

Difficulties integrating

Part-time employees may face more difficulty integrating into the teams and work culture of an organisation as they aren’t present as often as full-time workers.

As a consequence, they may feel undervalued or less recognised as an employee, which could impede their career development.

You could counter this problem by inviting them to the same team events and providing them with the same opportunities as everyone else. However, keep in mind that those in part-time roles may not offer the same long-term commitment as full-time employees.

Types of roles to consider filling with part-time employees

You could offer a range of roles to part-time employees, but some jobs are better suited to this style of work than others. Remote jobs are good candidates for part-time staff, as are roles that are contracted on an hourly or shift basis.

Project work or work that usually requires outsourcing or freelancing may also work well when you assign it to part-time staff, especially for short-term projects. Examples of suitable part-time roles include:

• Accountants
• Administrative assistants
• Bartenders
• Customer service assistants
• Graphic designers
• Project managers
• Writers

Some part-time positions may require only a few hours per week, offering maximum flexibility for both employers and employees. Hiring a part-time employee can be a flexible and cost-effective alternative to a full-time one, especially when the workload does not justify a permanent position.

Some part-time roles may also offer retirement plans as part of their benefits package, providing additional financial security for employees.

There are several reasons for business owners to consider employing part-time workers. They have the potential to bring increased productivity whilst also reducing costs. If you’re interested in employing these workers, you could start by assessing how your business could benefit from the potential added value offered by part-time workers working alongside your full-time staff.