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Original poster

Full/part time hours query

17 replies

ItsTheOnlyWayToLive · 22/09/2013 20:24

Hi, please can somebody help with this?

Until 2.5 years ago, I worked 37.5 hours a week, over 5 days.

Due to financial circumstances, I was lucky to be able to reduce my hours to 30 hours a week over 4 days. I therefore thought that I had gone to part time doing this, but having read a thread somewhere on here, it says from 30 hours upwards is full time. I work for the NHS.

Also, I'm still paying full car park permit charges, and receive full time uniform allowance. If I'm part time, I don't want to continue paying full time car parking permit charges, IYSWIM.

Am I full time, or part time? Please advise.
Many thanks in advance Smile Smile

OP posts:
flowery · 22/09/2013 20:38

There is no official legal definition of full time/part time. I personally would consider 30 hours to be part time, if full hours at your place of work are 37.5.

If you work 5 days a week you need the same amount of uniform and car parking as someone else who works 5 days a week but just works a slightly longer day, don't you?

Original poster
ItsTheOnlyWayToLive · 22/09/2013 20:46

Hi flowery, I work 7.5 hours a day, over 4 days, totalling 30 hours. I have a day off a week.

Previously it was 7.5 hours worked per day, over 5 days totalling 37.5 hours.

I had read that from 30 hours upwards is classed as full time, but then maybe it depends on who we work for, I don't know.

I might have a word with my boss tomorrow, surely if I'm part time, then I shouldn't be paying full time car parking charges ...

Thanks for your adviceSmile

OP posts:
flowery · 22/09/2013 20:53

Sorry, misread the 5 days. I would expect your uniform and car parking to be pro rated.

Original poster
ItsTheOnlyWayToLive · 22/09/2013 21:23

Hi flowery, thanks again

As far as the uniform is concerned, I was given 3 blouses when I was on 37.5 hours, along with pants/skirt.

After I reduced my hours, I expected the amount of blouses to drop in line with the reduction in hours, (my co workers who worked less than me got 2 or 1 blouses depending on hours), but when I asked for new blouses, they gave me 3 blouses yet again. I questioned it, and they said 3 blouses was the correct amount for my hours!! Hmm

OP posts:
SauvignonBlanche · 22/09/2013 21:29

According to NHS guidelines you are part time. There may well be local guidelines on car parking.

Original poster
ItsTheOnlyWayToLive · 22/09/2013 22:02

Hi sauvignon, thanks for your advice also.

Its a private company that the nhs employed called APCOA, or something similar. I think I will look on their website/nhs intranet tomorrow, to see how the payments work alongside the hours.

I know its only 1 day a week that I don't use the car park, but it mounts up, 4 days a month. £21 a month is what I'm paying presently.

I'm not being miserly, but if I'm classed as part time, then surely I should only pay a part time premium. If I'm classed as full time, then I'm happy to pay the full time premium. It's more of a principle than being tight. As I said, I was lucky enough to be able to reduce my hours Smile

OP posts:
flowery · 22/09/2013 22:21

I really don't think whether you are classed by someone as full time or part time is the main issue. If you need car parking 4 days a week not 5, you should pay for it for 4 days a week not 5.

Someone could work 40 hours over 4 days which would be full time compressed hours, and they'd only need 4 days car parking same as you. Similarly someone could work 25 hours over 5 days and they'd need 5 days car parking.

Original poster
ItsTheOnlyWayToLive · 22/09/2013 23:01

Thanks flowery. Yeah, I see what you mean about the parking. Never thought of it like that Hmm.

Still a bit confused about the full time/part time hour thing, though. My dh thinks I'm full time, going off the 'net info about 30 hrs upwards being full time, yet I had reduced my hours from 37.5 which is full time, to 30, which I thought was part time. How is it worked out? There is only 7.5 hours difference.

Oh God, just listen to me, sorry, I sound a prat.

OP posts:
flowery · 22/09/2013 23:59

Don't understand what you mean by how is it worked out?

You work fewer hours than your full time colleagues so I would describe you as part time. I don't consider 30 hours to be a full working week.

But other than whether or not you are paying for too much parking, why does it matter whether I, your DH or anyone else thinks 30 hours is full time or part time? What are you concerned about exactly?

Original poster
ItsTheOnlyWayToLive · 23/09/2013 07:30

Hi flowery, ok, my fault, not made myself very clear here Smile

Until yesterday, as far as I was concerned, I am part time. No problem. It seemed obvious to me seeing as I reduced my hours from full time to 30 hours.

Then I read this other thread on here last night, and somebody had posted that full time hours were classed as being 30 hours upwards, so began my confusion.

Dh thinks I'm still classed as full time. I googled, and many sites said the same thing (wiki was one of them), that 30 hours upwards is full time.

This is why I'm confused Confused

OP posts:
IrisWildthyme · 23/09/2013 08:10

At my workplace you don't get pro-rata parking for working only 4 days a week. The permit cost is fixed, the only concession is that you can pay half if you work less than 17 hours a week, but if you work more than 17 hours you pay the full whack. £21 a month isn't that much, and from an admin point of view the calculations involved in pro-rataing everyone's contribution, and engaging with all the arguments which would ensue, just isn't worth anyone's time or energy.

flowery · 23/09/2013 08:19

But why does it matter whether some people think 30 hours is full time and others think its part time? What difference does it make to anything, why are you keen to know what 30 hours is "classed" as?

Personally I think it's part time, as do you. Whether your employer thinks its part time is something you'd have to check with them, but as I say, I can't see what difference a label makes.

Government says there is no specific definition, but part time is someone who works fewer hours than a full time worker. Full time workers at your place of work do 39 hours, therefore you are part time. That link also says full time would normally be 35 or more, but the key is if it is less than whatever hours full time people work where you are, it's part time.

I genuinely have no idea why you are worried about this!

flowery · 23/09/2013 08:19

Oh, and pay no attention to wiki for anything to do with employment law.

BikeRunSki · 23/09/2013 08:28

You are upset that it costs you £21 and you think you think you should pay less. Get a grip on reality. I pay £5-8 a day depending on where I can find a space in the city parking lottery.

flowery · 23/09/2013 08:31

It does sound pretty bargainous parking I have to say.

HappyAsASandboy · 23/09/2013 08:34

I think it depends on what you are wanting the classification for.

As Flowery says, your employer will probably think of you as part time because you work fewer than full time hours. My employer works on the basis of 36 hours being full time if you work in London, and 37 hours being full time everywhere else . If I work 36 hours in London I am full time, of I work 36 hours in Birmingham I'm part time!

Car parking rules depend entirely in APOCA. They may have a daily rate and a weekly rate, or as someone else said, a 'more than x hours/less than x hours' rate. They are a private enterprise, so can decide what to charge.

For saying to random people 'I work FT' or 'I work PT', it is entirely up to you and no one will care. If you were my friend and said you worked full time over 4 days, I'd assume you worked more than 7.5 hour on those 4 days though, as 7.5 hours is a pretty normal day, so ^in my opinion', working 4 standard days instead of 5 would mean you're part time.

For the purposes of benefits, I think (but don't quote me) that you'd be classed as full time and not be expected to find additional work, whereas you might be expected to find additional work of you only worked 7 hours a week.

With limited exposure to NHS working hours rules, I am 99% certain that they will log you as PT on their HR systems, they'll calculate your annual leave and public holiday entitlement as part time (30/37.5), you'll accrue your pension at 30/37.5 times the standard rate etc.

Original poster
ItsTheOnlyWayToLive · 23/09/2013 20:32

Hi all.

Bikerunski - Thanks for putting it in perspective for me. I needed that. I appreciate I went over the top about the charges now Blush, and I hope that soon there will be a way of securing cheaper parking for you.

It doesn't matter whether I'm part time or full time. Thats not the issue. I'm only seeking clarification because of conflicting info from the Internet and people I know. Thats all. Nothing more Smile

As far as I'm concerned I'm part time. Fine with that. If I wanted to be/stay full time, I wouldn't have reduced my hours.

Tomorrow I have a PDR with my supervisor, and I'm going to ask her, just to put it to bed once and for all. Hope she doesn't say I am full time... Grin

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