Full-Time Versus Part-Time Hours in Canada: Everything You Need to Know

Understanding full-time and part-time hours is essential for small business owners and HR professionals. The hours your employees work, feeds directly into payroll and overtime. This suggests that getting a handle on shift patterns, working arrangements and overtime is essential for compliant processes.

There are currently 17.15 million full-time workers and 3.8 million part-time workers working across various industries in Canada. If your business has hired a mix of full and part-time employees then read on to better understand what this means for you, what the expectations are at an employment law level and how to make sure you’re managing time effectively for your team.

In this guide, we’ve taken a closer look at what is considered full-time and part-time and what you need to consider to stay compliant as an employer.

How many hours is full-time?

Full-time hours for federally regulated employers in Canada typically work out at around 40 hours a week and 8-hour days. The average number of working hours in 2025 for full-time employees sits at around 39.7 hours. Workers in Canada are entitled to one full rest day per week, as well as rest periods and breaks as needed. There are some exemptions for workers in roles such as trucking or in the shipping industry to keep in mind.

How many hours is part-time?

Part-time hours are typically considered to be if an employee works less than 30 hours per week, 8 hours a day. There could be many reasons for employees choosing to work part-time from childcare, to caring for a loved one, to allowing time to pursue passion projects. A smaller number of Canadian workers choose to work part-time but as an employer or HR professional it’s important to understand the expectations around these working hours.

What is the maximum number of hours you can work a week?

Your employees can work a maximum of 48 hours in one week or 10 hours a day. It’s not recommended that this is the standard to avoid employee burnout and ensure clear work-life balance. Employees that have a chance to rest and recover from their working day are much more likely to perform better for your business.

However, there are circumstances where this maximum number of working hours can be exceeded. This typically applies to emergency work but you can apply for a permit form if you need your workers to log more hours than normal.

Do different provinces have different working hours in Canada?

Every province in Canada has its own employment laws to be mindful of, so depending on where your business is based it’s important to check these out. Below, we’ve rounded up the working hours that typically apply to each of the provinces so you can quickly see what’s expected when it comes to full and part-time hours.

Are working hours different for students?

Working hours for students are typically the same as any other employee. This means students cannot work more than 48 hours without a permit, and guidance on full and part-time hours also applies to them. Workdays cannot exceed 10 hours a day and students are not allowed to receive overtime pay. If a student worker is under the age of 18, there are certain requirements they must meet to allow them to work such as not being allowed to work at 11pm and then 6am the following day.

What are my responsibilities when it comes to full-time and part-time working hours?

As an employer, you have a duty to comply with working laws and keep data safe. Here, we’ve detailed what you need to think about when working with your full-time and part-time hour employees.

• Keeping accurate records of the hours employees have worked. It’s important you have a dedicated system for tracking your employees’ time. This allows you to accurately run payroll and ensures you have a log of hours worked to make sure your team aren’t doing more than they should be.
• Accurately calculating overtime entitlements. If your team are working more than the expected 40 hours a week or what they are contracted to work, then you must pay them overtime.
• Encouraging regular breaks. Workers are entitled to 30-minute unpaid breaks every five consecutive hours so be sure to factor this into your schedules and management training to ensure your team get the rest they need.
• Allowing rest days. Rest is important for every type of worker, so you must allow rest periods. There must be an 8 hour rest period between every shift.
• Monitoring employees working additional hours. If your team are taking on additional hours due to emergency needs or the type of industry you work in then as an employer it’s important you check in and monitor their wellbeing.

Stay compliant and get the most out of your team

Understanding full-time and part-time hours and what is expected helps employers stay compliant and ensures workers aren’t putting in more hours than required. Keep track of your teams’ time with dedicated time tracking software and know where you stand whether your employees work full-time or part-time.