Benefits for part-time employees

Ann

In the past we have not offered benefits to our part-time employees. However, we have one employee who works an average of 32 hours a week and has approached us about vacation and health benefits. My question is, is it possible to negotiate a benefits package for this employee without offering it to other part-time employees?

System

I think you will find that many benefit packages will provide benefits to employees that work at least 30 hours a week. I work 34 hours a week as the HR/Benefits Administrator and I participate in all benefits with the company, which includes insurance, vacation, sick leave, etc. Our 401(k) Plan also allows employees to participate as long as they work 20 hours per week.

Hope this helps.

Ann

Down_the_Middle

I'll assume you have no current policy that covers benefits to part time staff and if that's true, I would hesitate to offer benefits to this individual while ignoring the remainder of your part time staff. You'll be setting yourself up for being selective/discriminatory and this sounds like an employee relations problem to me. I think it would be more prudent to define (via policy)that partime benefits are extended to "employees normally scheduled to work 32 - 39 hrs per week" (for example) and then offer it to everyone in that category. If only 1 person qualifies, then fine.

Ann

Thanks for responding to my inquiry. I recently took over the position of HR Administrator and have discovered that some of our policies are not very clear.
The reason I asked my original question is because it states in our personnel manual that 40 hours is considered full-time and 30 hours or less or 1000 hours is considered part-time, however it does not address those employees who fall somewhere in the middle. I need to correct this immediately and I'm not sure whether to classify 32 hours or more full-time so they qualify for benefits or do what you suggested and say any part-time employee working an average of 31 and 39 hours per week would qualify for benefits. Some of our Supervisors are not very good at monitoring how many hours there employees work so unfortunately many of them "milk the clock". Thanks again for your input.

AMW

I would say that if you offer benefits to one part time policy that you need to offer benefits to all part time employees. Sooner or later the part time employees will find out that benefits are being offered to a part time employee.

AMW

dhnyct

All employees play a valuable role within the organization, including part timers. Why treat them like "second-class citizens" by denying them a prorated benefit package?