Part-time work
Equal employment conditions
You must offer your part‑time staff the same employment conditions as full-time workers, including pay, leave, notice periods and other rights and benefits linked to their employment. The employment conditions should be applied on a pro-rata basis compared to full time workers. For example, if a part-time worker works half the hours of a full-time worker, they should receive half the amount of annual leave.
Sample story
Equal training opportunities and pro-rata pay
Albena is a university student working part-time in a busy cafe to help pay for her studies. The cafe offers her pro-rata pay and equal training opportunities, adhering to EU rules that protect part-time workers from discrimination based on their working hours.
Sample story
Flexibility and proportional benefits
Milan, a weekend bartender at a popular nightclub, enjoyed flexible shifts that allowed him to pursue his passion for music during the week. The nightclub respected EU rules by providing him with proportional benefits and the opportunity to participate in training sessions alongside full-time staff.
Modifying working arrangements
Whenever possible, you should try to accommodate requests from your employees if they want to change their working schedules, such as:
- transferring from full-time to part-time
- transferring from part-time to full-time
- increasing their working hours
You cannot dismiss an employee if they refuse to transfer from part-time to full-time work or vice versa.
Sample story
Fresh perspectives
Oskar, a hotel manager, requested to switch from full-time to part-time to spend more time with his family. His supervisor understood his need and approved the change, arranging for an assistant manager to cover the remaining hours. This flexible approach not only supported Oskar but also allowed the hotel to bring in fresh perspectives and improve team collaboration.
Find out more about employment conditions and part-time work in different EU countries: