Part-time workers in the UK are protected by law from being treated less fairly than their full-time counterparts. Whether you work two days a week or twenty hours, you are entitled to fair pay, proper holiday, access to pensions, and protection at work. This guide explains your rights, how to calculate what you are owed, and what to do if your employer falls short.
The Legal Basis: Part-Time Workers Regulations 2000
The Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 made it unlawful for employers to treat part-time workers less favourably than comparable full-time workers unless the different treatment can be justified on objective grounds.
The Regulations cover:
- Pay rates
- Holiday entitlement
- Maternity, paternity and parental leave rights
- Sick pay
- Access to occupational pension schemes
- Training
- Selection for redundancy
- Career progression
“Less favourable treatment” means you should not receive fewer rights or benefits than a full-time colleague doing the same or broadly similar work — whether on permanent or temporary contracts.
Who Is a Comparable Full-Time Worker?
To use the Regulations, you need to identify a comparable full-time worker: someone employed by the same employer on the same type of contract, doing the same or broadly similar work at the same workplace (or at a different site if there is no comparable worker at your own site).
If no direct comparator exists at your employer, you may still be able to argue indirect discrimination through other equality legislation.
Pay Rights for Part-Time Workers
Hourly Rate
You must be paid the same hourly rate as a comparable full-time worker. Your total pay will naturally be lower because you work fewer hours, but the rate itself cannot be lower.
Example: If a full-time colleague earns £15 per hour, you should also earn £15 per hour — not £12 because you “only” work three days.
National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage
Part-time workers are also fully covered by the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage. Rates from April 2026:
| Age Group | Rate Per Hour |
|---|---|
| 21 and over (NLW) | £12.21 |
| 18–20 | £10.00 |
| 16–17 | £7.55 |
| Apprentice | £7.55 |
Overtime
Part-time workers do not automatically qualify for overtime pay at the same rate as full-time staff unless the contract provides it. However, if a full-time worker gets enhanced overtime pay after 35 hours, a part-time worker should also get it after 35 hours — not after their lower contracted hours.
Holiday Entitlement for Part-Time Workers
The Statutory Minimum
All workers — full-time and part-time — are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave per year. This includes bank holidays if the employer chooses to count them.
Calculating Pro-Rata Holiday
The calculation is straightforward:
Days-based: Contracted days per week × 5.6 = total holiday days per year
| Working Pattern | Holiday Entitlement |
|---|---|
| 5 days per week | 28 days |
| 4 days per week | 22.4 days (round up to 23) |
| 3 days per week | 16.8 days (round up to 17) |
| 2 days per week | 11.2 days (round up to 12) |
| 1 day per week | 5.6 days (round up to 6) |
Hours-based (variable hours): Total hours worked per year ÷ 46.4 weeks = holiday hours per year. Many zero-hours and casual workers have holiday calculated this way.
Bank Holidays
If bank holidays fall on days you don’t work, your employer cannot use those days to count towards your entitlement. You are entitled to a pro-rata share of bank holidays or alternative days off.
Example: If full-time staff get 8 bank holidays included in their 28-day entitlement, a part-time worker doing 3 days per week should get a proportional number of those bank holidays, or alternative leave days.
Sick Pay
Statutory Sick Pay
Part-time workers qualify for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) on the same basis as full-time workers, provided they earn at least £123 per week (2026/27 lower earnings limit). SSP is £116.75 per week and is payable from the 4th day of illness.
There is no pro-rata reduction for part-time workers — if you qualify, you get the full SSP rate regardless of how many days you normally work, paid for the days you would have worked.
Contractual Sick Pay
If your employer offers enhanced sick pay beyond SSP, a part-time worker must receive the same entitlement as a full-time worker in the same role. However, actual payments may be pro-rata if the scheme is structured on an earnings-replacement basis.
Pension Rights
Auto-Enrolment
Part-time workers qualify for auto-enrolment if they:
- Are aged 22 to State Pension age
- Earn more than £10,000 per year from the same employer
If you earn between £6,240 and £10,000 per year from one employer, you are entitled to opt in, and the employer must then contribute.
Minimum Contributions (2026/27)
| Contributor | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Employee | 5% (including 1% tax relief) |
| Employer | 3% |
| Total | 8% |
Contributions are calculated on qualifying earnings between £6,240 and £50,270.
Defined Benefit (Final Salary) Schemes
If your employer has a defined benefit pension, you cannot be excluded from it simply because you are part-time. Full-time colleagues must not receive more favourable access or accrual rates on an unjustified basis.
Maternity, Paternity, and Parental Leave
Part-time workers have the same statutory rights to:
- Maternity leave (up to 52 weeks, SMP payable up to 39 weeks)
- Paternity leave (up to 2 weeks)
- Shared parental leave (up to 50 shared weeks between parents)
- Unpaid parental leave (18 weeks per child, up to 4 weeks per year)
Qualifying periods (e.g. 26 weeks’ service for SMP) apply equally.
Holiday Accrual During Parental Leave
You continue to accrue statutory holiday entitlement during all parental leave, including unpaid periods — the full 5.6 weeks per year (pro-rata to your working pattern).
Redundancy
Part-time workers:
- Must not be selected for redundancy on the grounds that they work part-time
- Are entitled to the same statutory redundancy pay as full-time workers, calculated based on actual weekly pay (subject to the £643 weekly cap)
- Have the same right to be consulted and to consider suitable alternative employment
Selecting part-time workers first for redundancy is potentially unlawful unless there is genuine objective justification unrelated to part-time status.
Training and Promotion
Employers must not exclude part-time workers from:
- Training courses and continuing professional development
- Internal promotion opportunities
- Senior roles
If a training course only runs on days you do not work, your employer should arrange an alternative or adjust the schedule.
Requesting a Change in Hours
Employees with at least 26 weeks’ service have the right to request flexible working — including moving to part-time. Since April 2024, you can make up to two requests per year and your employer must respond within two months.
Your employer can refuse on business grounds, but the decision must be genuine. If you believe a refusal is unreasonable, you can appeal internally and ultimately take the matter to an Employment Tribunal.
Enforcing Your Rights
Step 1: Ask for a Written Statement
If you think you are being treated less favourably, write to your employer asking for the reason. They must respond within 21 days. If the response is inadequate or they don’t reply, this can be used as evidence in a tribunal.
Step 2: Raise a Grievance
Use your employer’s formal grievance procedure. Keep records of all communications.
Step 3: Employment Tribunal
Part-time worker claims must usually be brought within 3 months (minus 1 day) of the act complained of, though you must first attempt ACAS early conciliation before filing. There is no filing fee and no minimum length of service required.