Full-time employees

Full-time employees work an average of 38 hours each week. They're usually employed on a permanent basis or on a fixed term contract.

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What full-time employees get

Full-time employees are usually employed on a permanent basis or on a fixed term contract.

They work an average of 38 hours each week.

The actual hours of work for a full-time employee in a particular job or industry are agreed between the employer and the employee. They could also be set by an award or enterprise agreement.

To learn more, visit Hours of work.

A full-time employee is entitled to the National Employment Standards. This includes:

  • annual leave
  • sick and carer’s leave
  • compassionate and bereavement leave
  • parental leave
  • family and domestic violence leave.

A full-time employee is usually entitled to written notice when their employment ends, or payment instead of notice. For more information, visit Dismissal.

Example: Leave entitlements for full-time employees

Emily is a full-time employee. She works an average of 38 hours, 5 days a week.

Emily gets 10 days of sick and carer’s leave and 20 days of annual leave each year. She also gets other paid leave entitlements under the National Employment Standards like compassionate leave.

Joey is Emily’s workmate who is a casual employee. Joey gets a higher pay rate which includes a casual loading. Joey doesn’t get paid leave like Emily because they’re a casual employee.

Changing from full-time employment to part-time or casual

An employer and an employee may agree to change an employee's full-time job to part-time or casual.

Even when both the employer and employee agree, specific rules apply when changing from permanent employment (full-time or part-time) to casual. Employers should know the rules about:

  • giving or paying the employee the required notice
  • paying leave and any other entitlements
  • paying superannuation and tax.

To learn more, visit Final pay.

For information about:

When the employee doesn’t agree to change

An employer may be able to change an employee’s full-time employment to part-time or casual employment without the employee's agreement.

There are factors to consider when an employer wants to make this change. Employers need to know:

  • if the award, enterprise agreement or employment contract lets the employer change the employee’s work hours without the employee agreeing
  • if the change makes a new employment contract or changes an existing contract
  • what entitlements, such as annual leave or redundancy, need to be paid out
  • how much notice the employer needs to give the employee.

We’re unable to provide advice about employment contracts, including changes to an employee’s hours. For tailored advice about your situation, you may need to seek legal advice.

An employer can’t change or end an employee’s employment:

  • for a discriminatory reason
  • because the employee has exercised a workplace right
  • for another reason protected by law.

To learn more, visit Protections at work.

Source reference for page: Fair Work Act 2009 sections 86, 95, 106A, 117

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