Full-Time vs. Part-Time Employees

Jul 18

If you're diving into the murky waters of what constitutes full-time and part-time hours, you're probably drowning in conflicting definitions. It's like trying to navigate a foggy swamp without a map. Employers, bless their creative hearts, tend to make up their own rules, leading to chaos where nobody knows what's right. One company’s full-time might be another’s part-time, and somewhere in between lies the land of confusion where employees are left scratching their heads. Let’s unravel this mess, shall we?

So, buckle up for the rollercoaster of ambiguity. Imagine a world where 30 hours is considered full-time by the IRS for the purposes of the Affordable Care Act, but the Fair Labor Standards Act remains conveniently silent on the matter. In their infinite wisdom, employers often pick definitions out of a hat, making it a whimsical game of guesswork. It’s a bit like trying to play chess with someone who insists the pawns can move diagonally. Clear as mud, right?

Don’t worry; we’re here to decode this enigma and bring some much-needed clarity to the chaos.

The Great Debate: Full-Time vs. Part-Time

So, what exactly is the difference between full-time and part-time employees in the United States? How many hours do you need to work to be considered full-time? And what chaos ensues if employers mess this up? Spoiler: It's a lot.

Defining the Indefinable

Short answer: Full-time employment is typically between 30-40 hours a week. Part-time is anything less than 30 hours a week.

Long answer: It's complicated. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) doesn't define full-time or part-time employment. Being the imaginative creatures they are, employers get to decide their own definitions.

However, the IRS defines a full-time employee for the purposes of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as someone who works at least 30 hours a week or 130 hours a month. Clear as mud, right? For more details, check the IRS guidelines.

Paying Part-Time Employees: Fun with Fractions

Just like their full-time counterparts, part-time employees can be paid hourly or on a salary basis. The pay is usually equivalent to full-time employees but on a delightful prorated basis. For instance, a part-time salaried employee working three days a week earns 60% of what a full-time employee working five days a week makes. Math is fun!

The Perks of Being Full-Time (and Sometimes Part-Time)

Full-time employees usually enjoy a buffet of benefits. Part-time employees? Not so much. They might get some crumbs like limited paid time off or partial insurance benefits. The real kicker? Employers have to pay the same taxes for both. Joy!

Misclassifying employees can lead to fines, penalties, and a lot of facepalming. For example, if a company doesn't offer benefits to a full-time employee because they thought the employee was part-time, the IRS might slap them with some hefty fees.

The Alphabet Soup of Employers: SEs vs. ALEs

The number of full-time and part-time employees affects whether a company is a Small Employer (SE) or an Applicable Large Employer (ALE). If you have 50 or more full-time employees (or equivalents), congratulations, you're an ALE! ALEs have to offer affordable minimum essential coverage or face penalties. SEs, enjoy your slightly less complicated life. Learn more about the requirements for small businesses under the ACA here.

Get Help Before You Drown

Classifying employees correctly is crucial to avoid fines and to ensure everyone gets their deserved benefits. If you're confused (and who wouldn't be?), it might be time to consult with employment counsel.

Keeping track of your various employee types and ensuring everyone is paid correctly is no easy task. Dinsmore Steele offers HR solutions to help you easily manage payroll, benefits, and compliance. Because let's face it, you've got better things to do.

We’ve helped thousands of companies find the right solution to solve their Full-Time and Part-Time challenges. Let us help you.

Rodney Steele

As Dinsmore Steele’s CEO and Founder, Rodney is responsible for the leadership and vision of Dinsmore Steele, as well as leading the company’s solution development and strategy. He founded Dinsmore Steele because he witnessed first hand the inefficiencies and difficulty companies had when pricing, shopping and purchasing their human capital solutions, and so he created single source platform that comparatively shops the entire marketplace. Prior to Dinsmore Steele, Rodney had an illustrious career in Capital Markets and Banking for some of the largest financial institutions in the world. Committed to changing the way companies shop for their human capital needs, Rodney and the entire Dinsmore Steele team is at the forefront of human capital. Rodney holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is an active member of his community and resides on the North Shore of Long Island with his Siberian Husky Jefe.