Full-Time Hours
What are full-time hours?
Full-time hours refer to the number of hours an employee is typically expected to work in a week to be considered a full-time employee.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides guidelines that generally classify full-time employees as working at least 30 hours per week or 130 hours per month on average. Some may vary like; 40-hour workweek, spread over five 8-hour days, however depending on companies and its policies.
The law does not strictly define full-time employment hours in the United States.
According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employees are required to earn at least the minimum wage for all hours worked up to 40 hours per week. Any hours worked beyond 40 hours a week must be paid at an overtime rate of one and a half times the employee’s regular hourly wage.
How do employers define full-time hours?
Determining which employees are considered full-time is compulsory for the employer shared responsibility provisions. An employer needs to identify its full-time employees in order to:
- Determine if it qualifies as an Applicable Large Employer (ALE) and, consequently, is subject to the employer shared responsibility provisions.
- Identify which employees must receive minimum essential coverage to avoid incurring an employer shared responsibility payment.
- Assess the potential liability for an employer shared responsibility payment.
However, an employer is not required to calculate its liability and should not make a payment unless contacted by the IRS.
What is the difference between full-time and part-time?
Here are six key differences between full-time and part-time employees;
| Category | Full-time vs Part-time |
| Hours Worked | Full-time employees typically work at least 32 to 40 hours per week, while part-time employees work less than that, often up to 35 hours per week.
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| Benefits | Full-time employees are more likely to receive benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plans. But part-time employees may not have access to these benefits or may receive them at a reduced level.
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| Schedule Consistency | Full-time jobs usually offer a consistent schedule. Whereas part-time jobs may offer more flexibility but can also have varying schedules from week to week. |
| Job Security | Full-time positions often come with greater job security and the potential for long-term career development within a company. But part-time positions might be temporary or seasonal. |
| Workload | Full-time employees generally have a higher workload and more responsibilities compared to part-time employees, who may have a limited scope of duties. |
| Work Environment and Culture | Full-time employees may have a stronger connection to the company culture and more opportunities for team collaboration. Whereas part-time employees might work independently or have less involvement in company activities. |
What benefits do employees typically receive with full-time hours?
In the U.S, full-time employees receive benefits and advantages like:
1. Retirement plans: Organization-sponsored retirement plans like 401(k)s are available as a mandate for full-time employees after retirement. It may include contributions based on the company’s profit as well.
2. Paid time-off: Paid time-off for vacations, casual or sick leave compassionate leaves,etc are few of the added benefits.
3. Health and security: Health insurance is available to cover medical costs and expenses. They cover short-term and long-term disability concerns.
4. Medical benefits: A high percentage of full-time workers have access to medical care benefits, with 96% of union workers and 69% of non-union workers covered.
Training and development: Some organizations also offer training and development assistance to the employees.
Note: It is mandatory for employers to provide statutory benefits such as Social Security, Medicare, workers’ compensation, and unemployment insurance.