Posted on: Jul 13, 2012
There is no legal definition of part-time and casual employees. Generally speaking, part-time workers are employed on a permanent basis for less than the ordinary number of hours per week. Part-timers may, for example, work for a few hours a day or for a few days a week on an ongoing basis. Part-time workers have all the rights and entitlements of full-time workers.
A casual employee is an employee who is hired for short periods of time usually to do specific work. Such a worker has no regular work pattern or any expectation of ongoing employment. The employment of these workers terminates at the end of each engagement. At that point the employee should be paid wages as agreed and 8% holiday pay.
It is possible for a worker who is initially casual to drift into the status of permanent part-time worker. This can happen if the employment becomes regular and the employee has an expectation of ongoing employment and the employer expects the employee to be available on a regular basis. Once the employee has drifted into a permanent status, his or her employment can be terminated only for good substantive reason, and after following a fair and reasonable procedure. The employee cannot simply be laid off.
Disclaimer
This article, and any information contained on our website is necessarily brief and general in nature, and should not be substituted for professional advice. You should always seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters addressed.
