Part-time work - is part-time a good choice? What does it involve?

Many people decide to work part-time. This is a perfect solution especially for busy parents, students, as well as for those who want to work in two places at the same time. Check how much you can earn and how to calculate part-time leave. You can also find out what the notice period is. Decide if working part-time is a good decision.

In this article you will find answers to the following questions:

• Part-time – how many hours is that?
  • Three-quarters and one-fifth – how many hours of work is that?
• What are you entitled to when working part-time?
• What do you need to do when you start working part-time?
• How much leave for part-time?
  • Leave for 1/2 time in 3 months, how to determine it?
  • Calculate how much leave you will be entitled to
• Part-time vs. years of work – do you lose out by choosing part-time?
• How much do you earn part-time?
• Part-time employment – employer’s costs
• What is the notice period for a part-time job?
  • Part-time termination and unused leave
• 1/2-time employment contract – template of mandatory positions
• Part-time employment contract template – this is what the whole document looks like

Part-time – how many hours is that?

We calculate it proportionally – full-time is 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. This adds up to 40 hours per week. The standard working time is approx. 160 hours, but it depends on the number of days in each month, which are different.

When calculating how many part-time hours you need to work, you should divide your full-time hours into two.

How much is half time in 2024?

Three-quarters and one-fifth – how many hours of work is that?

Not everyone is employed full-time. Part-time is not the only option. If you are wondering what the jobs are, you need to know that there are several possibilities. The most popular of them are:

• 1/5 = 8 hours per week;
• 1/4 = 10 hours per week;
• 1/2 = 20 hours per week;
• 3/4 = 30 hours per week;
• 7/8 = 35 hours per week.

You no longer have to think about things like “1/5 of a time – how many hours is that?”, you just need to calculate it based on full-time norms (e.g. 40 * 1/5 = 8).

What are you entitled to when working part-time?

When working part-time, you have the same rights as those set out in the Labour Code, no matter what your full-time job is. The basic obligations of the employer towards the employee are:

• timely payment of salaries;
• registration for insurance;
• payment of social security contributions;
• keeping personal files for the employee and storing them for 10 years from the termination of the employment relationship;
• respecting breaks;
• granting holidays.

What do you need to do when you start working part-time?

An employee with a part-time employment contract, has the same rights and obligations as full-time. You should go to an occupational medicine doctor for preliminary examinations to receive a certificate of no contraindications to work. Your employer must provide you with initial health and safety training, which includes:

• general instruction;
• on-the-job training.

How much leave for part-time? Check how to calculate it!

Holiday leave is due to every person employed under an employment contract. This is the time when you do not fulfill your duties, but you receive the same salary as when you perform them. Part-time annual leave, as with full-time leave, is granted on days that are working days for you.

The amount of part-time leave is calculated by dividing the full-time leave entitlement into two.

The number of days off you are entitled to in the case of full-time employment depends on the length of service:

• 20 days a year if you have been employed for less than 10 years;
• 26 days if you have been employed for at least 10 years.

How to calculate holiday leave for 1/2 time? We simply divide these values by two:

• 10 days a year if you have been employed for less than 10 years;
• 13 days a year if you have been employed for at least 10 years.

Remember, these are eight-hour days. If you work part-time, you can use hours in your calculations. Therefore, you are entitled to:

• 80 hours in the case of a 10-day leave;
• 104 hours in the case of a 13-day leave.

Example:
Joanna has been employed by XYZ for a year. This is her first job after graduation. He works from Monday to Friday, 4 hours a day. She is entitled to 80 hours of leave per year (in relation to 10 days of 8 hours each). This means that he actually has 20 days of vacation (80 hours : 4 hours a day).

If your working time changes during your employment with a given employer, the leave must be recalculated.

Leave for 1/2 time in 3 months, how to determine it?

In the case of part-time leave for 3 months, we apply the reference to the entire year. The calculations are much simpler when we assume the number of hours, not days, because in the case of a full-time job, a working day can have a different number of hours. Some work 4 hours from Monday to Friday, others may have three shifts a week, for example: two seven-hour shifts and one six-hour shift.

If you are entitled to 80 hours of leave in one calendar year (in relation to 10 days of 8 hours each), you must divide this by 12 to find out what part-time leave you are entitled to after a month of work.

After performing the action, you will get an incomplete number (6.66). It is obvious that you cannot take an incomplete day off, but if you work 4 hours a day, you can take one day off. Unused vacation time is still at your disposal.

Divide 80 hours ( annual leave for 1/2 full-time) by 12. Then multiply the resulting value by three. A 1/2-time leave for 3 months is 20 hours. If you work 4 hours a day, you will be able to get 5 days off.

Calculate how much leave you will be entitled to

You already know how much leave you are entitled to part-time, but what about other situations? Multiply the amount of your work (e.g. 3/4) by the full-time leave you are entitled to.

Art. 154 § 2. of the Labour Code
“The amount of leave for a part-time employee shall be determined in proportion to the working time of that employee, taking as a basis the length of leave specified in § 1; A partial day of leave shall be rounded up to a full day.”

Example:
Mr. Jan has been working in XYZ company for 5 years, he is employed 3/4 time. Previously, he was an assistant at ABC for 6 years. He is entitled to 20 days of leave (26 * 3/4 = 19.5). We always round up the leave, so even though we got 19.5 days from the calculations, we raise it to the whole day.

Part-time vs. years of work – do you lose out by choosing part-time?

You don’t have to worry about whether part-time work counts towards your years of work. The length of service is calculated the same regardless of whether you work full-time or part-time.

Is the issue of part-time and seniority so simple?
In the Polish pension system, the amount of benefits depends not only on the length of service, but also on the amount of contributions paid, so lower working hours will translate into a lower pension benefit in the future.

How much do you earn part-time? Check what salary you can count on

The lowest rate on a part-time employment contract from July 2024 is PLN 2,150 gross per month. This is due to the minimum salary (for full-time work) of PLN 4,300 gross.

The lowest salary applies to everyone and does not depend on the length of service. You can’t earn less than the national minimum, but you can earn more. This results from the provisions of the Labour Code.

Art. 29² § 1. (Conclusion of an employment contract)
“The conclusion of an employment contract with an employee providing for part-time employment may not result in the determination of his or her working conditions and pay in a manner less favourable to employees performing the same or similar work on a full-time basis, taking into account, however, the proportionality of remuneration for work and other work-related benefits to the employee’s working time.”

See also:
Employment contract – types and features of the employment relationship
A photo for a CV – how to take it, which one to choose and where to put it?
How to write a cover letter and what to pay attention to?
A professional summary as a unique opportunity to interest the recruiter
Personal information in a CV – everything you need to know
Retraining and retraining – how to effectively change your career path?
CV clause – everything you need to know + current CV clause

Part-time employment – employer’s costs

Whether you are on a full-time or part-time contract, your employer pays National Insurance contributions, which include:

• pension insurance;
• disability insurance;
• accident insurance;
• sickness health insurance.

Additional costs include:

• the Labour Fund;
• Solidarity Fund;
• Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund.

What is the notice period for a part-time job?

Terminating a part-time contract is no different from terminating a full-time contract. You should submit it in writing. The notice period for a part-time contract depends on the length of service with the employer.

Termination of a part-time employment contract covers the period of:

• 2 weeks if you have been employed for less than 6 months;
• 1 month if you have been employed for at least 6 months;
• 3 months if you have been employed for at least 3 years.

Art. 18^3a. § 1 of the Labour Code clearly explains this issue.
‘Workers should be treated equally in the establishment and termination of employment, terms and conditions of employment, promotion and access to training for the purpose of improving professional qualifications, in particular regardless of sex, age, disability, race, religion, nationality, political opinions, trade union membership, ethnic origin, denomination, sexual orientation, employment for a definite or indefinite period, full-time or part-time employment.’

Part-time termination and unused leave

Remember that if you have not used all your leave, your employer may force you to use it or pay you a cash equivalent.
This applies only during the notice period, i.e. when the employment relationship has already been terminated. When a full-time or other employment contract is in force, it is not possible to pay an equivalent in exchange for leave.

1/2-time employment contract – template of mandatory positions

A part-time contract must be in writing. It has fixed elements:

• determination of the parties to the employment contract for 1/2 full-time;
• type of contract;
• date of conclusion;
• the date of commencement of work;
• the employer’s registered office address;
• if the employer does not have a registered office, it provides the address of residence;
• type of work;
• place of its performance;
• remuneration with an indication of its components (such as a fixed base and statutory bonus);
• working hours (e.g. part-time);
• information about the overtime allowance;
• when it is a part-time fixed-term employment contract – the date of its termination;
• In some cases, an objective reason is given that justifies the purpose of concluding a fixed-term contract.

Part-time employment contract template – this is what the whole document looks like

Warsaw, 26.02.2024

TechInnovate Ltd. z o.o.
Address: ul. Postępowa 3, 02-797 Warsaw
NIP: 1234567890
REGON: 987654321

EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT

Concluded on 26.02.2024 in Warsaw, between TechInnovate Sp. z o.o. with its registered office at 3 Postępowa Street in Warsaw, represented by Katarzyna Bielik, and Ewa Nowak, residing in Warsaw at ul. Bronze 15, for an indefinite period of time, half-time.

§ 1

1. An employer hires an employee for the position of a data analyst.
2. Responsibilities include analyzing data sets, preparing reports and recommendations, and supporting decision-making processes through data analysis.
3. The work will be performed from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.
4. After exceeding the work limit of 4 hours per day, the employee is entitled to an allowance equal to the overtime allowance.
5. The place of work is the company’s headquarters at 3 Postępowa Street in Warsaw.
6. The start date is 26.02.2024.

§ 2

1. The employee will receive a salary of PLN 3500 gross per month.
2. The remuneration will be paid by the 10th day of each calendar month following the month worked.

26.02.2024 Ewa Nowak

Katarzyna Bielik