AQA · GCSE · Business
Course version: 8132 · Version from Sept 2017
Understand the difference between part time and full time contracts, job…
Full specification wording
Recruitment and selection of employees: understand the difference between part time and full time contracts, job share and zero hour contracts
Contracts differ in the hours an employee works and the security they provide.
Checked against the AQA 8132 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 7 of 8
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Contracts differ in the hours an employee works and the security they provide. A full-time contract normally involves working the business's standard week, often around 35 to 40 hours, with regular pay and access to the full range of benefits such as holiday and pension. A part-time contract involves fewer hours than full time, for example three days a week, giving the employee flexibility but usually lower pay and sometimes fewer benefits. A job share is one full-time role divided between two or more people who each work part time and share the duties, pay and benefits in proportion. A zero hour contract does not guarantee any minimum hours: the employer offers work when needed and the worker may accept or decline, giving the business flexibility but the worker uncertain income.
What earns the marks
- Defines a full-time contract as working the standard full working week, typically around 35 to 40 hours, with regular hours and pay.
- Defines a part-time contract as working fewer hours than the standard full-time week, for example two or three days each week.
- Defines a job share as one full-time job shared by two or more employees who each work part time and divide the role, pay and benefits.
- Defines a zero hour contract as one with no guaranteed minimum hours, where work is offered as needed and the worker may accept or decline it.
- Compares the contracts, for example full-time and part-time differ in hours worked, while job share and zero hour contracts differ in how the role and hours are arranged.
- Explains a business implication, such as part-time and zero hour contracts giving flexibility to match staffing to demand, while full-time contracts offer greater security and commitment.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Confusing part-time work with a job share.
Put it right by stating that a job share divides one full-time role between people, whereas part-time work is simply fewer hours.
Treating zero hour contracts as guaranteeing a set number of hours.
Put it right by stating that no minimum hours are guaranteed and work is offered as needed.
Assuming part-time workers always receive no benefits.
Put it right by explaining that benefits such as holiday accrue in proportion to hours worked, although some extras may differ.
Exam tips
- Learn a clear definition and one advantage or disadvantage for each of the four contract types.
- Use comparative language such as whereas, unlike and in contrast to show the differences clearly.
- Apply the contracts to a context, for example a retailer using part-time and zero hour staff to cover busy periods.
Try the lesson
The start of the Recruitment and selection of employees: understand the difference between part time and full time contracts, job share and zero hour contracts lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
An employee works 16 hours each week for the same employer under a permanent contract. Which type of contract does this describe?
Listen
Contracts differ in the hours an employee works and the security they provide. A full-time contract normally involves working the business's standard week, often around 35 to 40 hours, with regular pay and access to the full range of benefits such as holiday and pension. A part-time contract involves fewer hours than full time, for example three days a week, giving the employee flexibility but usually lower pay and sometimes fewer benefits. A job share is one full-time role divided between two or more people who each work part time and share the duties, pay and benefits in proportion. A zero hour contract does not guarantee any minimum hours: the employer offers work when needed and the worker may accept or decline, giving the business flexibility but the worker uncertain income. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Defines a full-time contract as working the standard full working week, typically around 35 to 40 hours, with regular hours and pay. Defines a part-time contract as working fewer hours than the standard full-time week, for example two or three days each week. Defines a job share as one full-time job shared by two or more employees who each work part time and divide the role, pay and benefits. Defines a zero hour contract as one with no guaranteed minimum hours, where work is offered as needed and the worker may accept or decline it. A common slip: Confusing part-time work with a job share. Instead, stating that a job share divides one full-time role between people, whereas part-time work is simply fewer hours. Exam tip: Learn a clear definition and one advantage or disadvantage for each of the four contract types.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Hours worked
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Job security and income certainty
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Flexibility for employer and employee
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Pay and benefits
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See every definition
- Hours worked
- A full-time contract normally involves working the business's standard week, often around 35 to 40 hours, while a part-time contract involves fewer hours than full time.
- Job security and income certainty
- A zero hour contract does not guarantee any minimum hours, giving the worker uncertain income, whereas a full-time contract provides regular pay.
- Flexibility for employer and employee
- A part-time contract gives the employee flexibility, and a zero hour contract gives the business flexibility because work is offered when needed.
- Pay and benefits
- A job share divides one full-time role between two or more people who each work part time and share the duties, pay and benefits in proportion.
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