What determines whether an employee is full-time or part-time? How many hours per week do you need to work to be considered full-time? In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) doesn’t prescribe any legal guidelines that dictate whether or not a worker is a full-time employee.
The determination of what constitutes full-time employment depends on the company’s policy and practice of defining full-time employees with the exception of designations under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Even though many people consider 35 or 40 hours a week full-time, the number of hours you are expected to work can vary depending on your employer. In some cases, it’s less; for other employers, it can be more. The same holds true for part-time employment. Company policy determines how many hours per week is considered a part-time job.
The standard for full-time employment was typically 40 hours a week in the past. The U.S. Department of Labor guidelines provide for overtime pay for nonexempt workers after working 40 hours.4 The week was typically divided into 8 hour workdays.
Many employers now consider employees as full-time when they work fewer hours (i.e., over 30 hours, 35 hours, or 37.5 hours). Under the ACA, employees who work 30 or more hours per week are entitled to health insurance; however, beyond that, companies may set whatever standard they like for full-time compensation and other benefits.