When you hire a part-time employee, you need to come to an agreement with them about regular hours of work. This agreement must be in writing and include:
- the number of hours to be worked each day
- which days of the week the employee will work
- the actual starting and finishing times of work on each day
- the times and length of meal breaks
- that all time in excess of the agreed hours is overtime
- that any changes to the agreement will be in writing.
You and your part-time employee can change the agreed hours of work, as long as all of the changes are agreed to by both you and your employee. Any changes to the original agreement need to be recorded in writing before the changes occur.
You must keep a copy of the agreement (and any variation) and you should provide your employees with a copy. To assist you, there is a part-time hours of work agreement/variation form available from the links below as well as a template letter of engagement.
When your part-time employees work in excess of the hours specified in their agreement, it is overtime and must be paid at overtime rates of pay. Visit the Overtime rates section for more information.
Note: The Vehicle Award provides special provisions for part-time employees who are employed to sell vehicles. Check clause 44 of the award for details.