HR Q&A. How Many Hours Can I Assign to a Part-Time Employee?

Assigning work hours for part-time employees is a delicate balance between legal regulations, company requirements, and employee satisfaction. When determining the right number of hours for specific job roles, consider the job’s responsibilities and the company’s operational needs. For customer service roles that require coverage during business hours, shorter shifts spread across more part-time workers might be beneficial. For project-based roles, fewer, longer shifts might be more effective.

The number of hours worked can affect eligibility for benefits such as sick leave, vacation leave, and other company perks. Generally, part-time employees who work less than 30 hours per week might receive prorated benefits based on their hours worked compared to full-time employees. Ensure your company’s policies are clear and communicated to part-time employees.

As far as number of hours? There’s no actual limit according to HR expert Sergio, SHRM-CP, however he asks you to keep these things in mind:

• If the employee was looking for a part-time job when you hired them (and didn’t settle for fewer hours than desired), you may get pushback if you assign more hours than they bargained for on a regular basis.
• Under certain laws, as well as insurance and retirement plans, benefits kick in when an employee hits a certain number of hours per week, regardless of how you classify them. For example, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) considers employees full time at 30 or more hours per week.
• If you regularly assign an employee a full-time schedule while continuing to classify them as “part time”—and full-time employees receive additional benefits, such as paid time off—the employee could argue they’re being treated unfairly or even in a way that amounts to employment discrimination.

This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law.