There is no federal law that defines the term "part time" or specifies the number of hours an employee must work per week to be considered part time instead of full time. Many employers classify part-time employees as those who regularly work less than 30 hours per week. Part-time workers are fully protected under workers' compensation, minimum wage, and health and safety laws. Laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, creed, nationality, sex, age, and disability also cover them. Additional considerations for employers include federal and state requirements regarding retirement plans, family and medical leave, healthcare insurance, union representation, and withholding.
Older Workers in Demand
Starbucks is making older workers an offer they can't refuse: full medical, dental, and optical coverage for part-time work. The coffee empire knows that while layoffs and unemployment are grabbing headlines now, the labor shortages of the late 1990s are ready to make a comeback, with the biggest drop occurring among the young.
Invasion of the Teenage Workers
In the good ole summertime, hoards of teens all over America are out job hunting, and you want—no, you need—to have some of them find their way to your company...
Older Workers Would Use Phased Retirement, If They Had It
Retirement doesn't have to be cold turkey. There's also phased retirement,
in which older workers gradually depart through shorter work
weeks, flexible hours, or some other arrangement. One out of three older workers would like to use this option, according to the results of a recent survey.
