Part-time jobs

Part-time work can be a life-saver. It can also be stressful. From a Saturday job whilst still at school and bar shifts at college, to juggling parental and work responsibilities, there are so many combinations of part-time work arrangements. Read this guide to find out how being part-time can work for you.

"If you're studying, part-time work can put money in your pocket."

Am I a part-time worker?

Part-time work is:

When you work less than 35 hours a week
Good for combining with study
Good for balancing childcare with earning money and developing your career
Covered by the same employment laws as full-time work
Guaranteed to pay the minimum wage
A way of job-sharing a full-time position

Part-time work is not:

Less important than full-time work
A doss
Only for women – although 80% of part-time workers in the UK are female

What are the advantages of working part-time?

If you're studying, part-time work can put money in your pocket, which is untaxed if you earn under £6035 a year. You'll meet a wider range of people and, if you're lucky, you could find work to complement your study.

If you're a parent, part-time work can be essential for supporting yourself and your family, and can work in conjunction with Working Family Tax Credits to maximise your earnings. It can also help parents get out of the house and into a 'non-baby' environment.

Working part-time gives you invaluable transferable skills, such as IT, money-handling and people skills. In a fast-paced job market, you can keep up to date with developments. Finally, if you're in a position to work full-time hours, you can make up combinations of part-time work that cover different areas of interest – be a web-designer by day and a DJ by night.

What are the downsides of part-time work?

Juggling different commitments is never easy and there may be awkward clashes, such as working late the night before an exam, or missing an important meeting if your baby's ill.

There's still a tendency to look down on 'part timers', and managers might overlook you for promotion. You won't earn as much as you would in full-time work and there's still a lack of job options – particularly in the private sector – for part-time employees. Late-night working hours can make you tired if you have day-time commitments like studying.

Now you can access your work emails from any computer, there can be a temptation to allow your part-time boundaries to blur. If you don't lay down the law you might find that your boss expects you to be on call full-time, despite knowing that's not the deal.

Jargon Buster

Child Tax Credit:: A government scheme designed to support parents and families who are on no or low incomes. You could be eligible for extra money to top-up your income. Call the helpline on 0845 300 3900 for more information.
Private Sector:: Areas of work and business that are run for private profit and not controlled or funded by the government.

Write down your current commitments and work out how much time you have to give to part-time work. Calculate how much money you need to cover your minimum costs.
Make a list of the sort of work that will fit in with your life and the hours that will suit you best, e.g. half-days, full-days, evenings, nights.
Get hunting: register with local employment agencies [link to article on temping]and start considering their opportunities; visit the DirectGov job search website; visit your local job centre and search for part-time positions; and check out local and national press for job ads.
Brush-up your CV so that it's ready to send when you see a position, or take the initiative and drop it into local shops, bars or supermarkets.
Check-out the Child Tax Credit schemes and make sure you're getting the maximum available help with your personal combination of work and childcare.

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