Part-time work
Part-time employees receive the same employment entitlements as full-time workers on a pro-rata basis.
Complying with your industrial award
Make sure any part-time working arrangements meet the requirements of the award or agreement that covers your business.
Learn more about part-time employees on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
Employer benefits
For employers, the benefits of allowing part-time working arrangements include:
- being able to cover busy periods efficiently
- retaining valued employees who may not be able to, or want to, work full-time
- cost saving (if a part-time arrangement meets all the requirements of a position)
- attracting applicants from a wider employment pool.
Full-time workers changing to part-time
If you receive a proposal from a full-time employee to work part-time, consider whether:
- the essential functions of the position can be completed in the proposed time frame
- the role can be logically split on a time, task or customer basis
- you can reassign some of the employee's tasks, or if another employee will be required
- customers and colleagues will suffer as a result.
When a full-time employee changes to part-time work, you may need to make arrangements for important tasks to be covered in a timely manner. Options include:
- a job share arrangement to cover the time the employee is not there
- making sure the employee can be flexible when there is an emergency or unforeseen deadline
- sharing project records so that other team members can pick up their work
- buddy systems (where another employee is able to respond to urgent queries and provide information on the part-time employee's work projects).
Also consider...
- Learn more about employer obligations for flexible working arrangements, including industrial relations laws.
- Find out about managing flexible working arrangements in your business.
- Read about your rights and obligations under flexible working arrangements.
- Last reviewed: 4 Aug 2016
- Last updated: 19 Aug 2020
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Events
- Payroll tax in Queensland - 2022 annual return 05/07/2022
- Payroll tax information session - Logan City 06/07/2022