A quick guide to full and part-time hours in the UK

In the UK, around 25.58 million people were working full-time hours between August and October 2025, and a further 8.64 million were working part-time hours.

Understanding the difference between full-time vs. part-time hours can help employers better manage recruitment budgets and payroll, while ensuring everyone is treated fairly. Getting the balance wrong could leave your workforce over- or under-capacity, while not treating part-time staff correctly might open the door to employment tribunals.

Explore the main differences between part-time hours vs. full-time hours with BambooHR^®. Our guide looks at how many hours are classed as full and part-time in the UK, what the maximum working week is, and more.

How many hours is full-time?

The UK doesn’t have a legal definition of full-time hours. Instead, employers can decide what works for their business. For example, 35, 37, 37.5, or 40 hours of work each week are typically considered full-time hours. Businesses should set out the required number of hours in their workers’ employment contracts.

Full-time staff in government or civil service roles typically work around 37 hours a week. HM Revenue and Customs employees, for example, work 37 hours a week, and at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government staff average working 7 hours and 24 minutes a day (very precise!).

How many hours is part-time?

There are no official definitions of part-time hours or workers in the UK. Instead, they’re simply classed as staff who work fewer hours compared to full-time employees. In practice, part-time hours are likely to be lower than 35 per week.

There could be many reasons for employees choosing to work part-time hours. For example, childcare, caring for a loved one, or giving themselves enough time to pursue passion projects. A smaller number of UK employees choose to work part-time. But as an employer or HR professional, it’s important to understand the expectations around these working hours.

Under UK law, employers must ensure part-time staff are treated as favourably as full-time employees in many areas. These include:

• Rates of pay, like maternity and sick pay
• Annual leave
• Pension benefits
• Promotion opportunities
• Career development.

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

Under the Working Time Directive, employees can work a maximum of 48 hours in one week. This figure is usually averaged across 17 weeks. The maximum working week is 40 hours, or eight hours a day.

To avoid employee burnout and ensure a clear work-life balance, it’s not recommended that this be the standard. Employees who have a chance to rest and recover from their working day are more likely to perform better for your business.

There are circumstances in which staff can exceed the maximum number of working hours. This may apply to areas such as emergency work, roles involving 24-hour staffing, and security services.

Employees aged 18 or older can also opt out of the maximum working week. This gives them the opportunity to exceed the 48-hour weekly average. However, the decision must be voluntary, and they can change their mind at any time.

Are working hours different for students?

Working hour rules for UK students are typically the same as those for any other employee. This means students can’t legally work more than 48 hours a week, unless they opt out of the Working Time Directive. Legal guidance around full-time and part-time hours also applies to them.

However, universities may recommend a set number of working hours for students during term time. This is to ensure any paid work doesn’t negatively impact their studies. For example, the University of Liverpool recommends a weekly term-time limit of 15 hours to all its students.

The rules on working hours differ for international students attending UK universities. Depending on their visa and course, they may be allowed to work 10 or 20 hours per week during term time, and potentially full-time during holidays. Some universities might have their own restrictions or recommendations, though.

What is your responsibility when managing full-time and part-time hours?

As an employer, you have a duty to comply with UK employment laws and keep people’s data safe. Here are some key considerations for managing full-time and part-time employees.

• Keep accurate records of employee hours. It’s important to have a dedicated system for tracking your employees’ time, so your team members aren’t working more than they should. The right time and attendance software can help you manage this.
• Clearly communicate overtime policies. Whether they work part-time hours or full-time, it’s important to have consistent overtime policies for your employees. UK workers don’t have an automatic legal right to overtime, but it may be included in employment contracts.
• Encourage regular breaks. UK employees should get an uninterrupted 20-minute rest break in a working day longer than six hours. So, remember to factor this into your schedules and management planning to ensure your team members get the rest they need.
• Allow rest days. Rest is important for every type of worker, so you must allow rest periods. In the UK, staff have a right to 11 hours of rest between working days.
• Monitor employees working additional hours. Your team might need to work additional hours due to emergencies or the industry you operate in. As an employer, it’s important to check in and monitor their wellbeing.

Stay compliant and get the most out of your team

Understanding full-time vs. part-time hours and what’s expected can help employers stay compliant with UK law. It also supports employee wellbeing by ensuring workers aren’t putting in more time than expected.

The rules around student employment and maximum working hours also require careful thought to ensure your staff know their limits.

Make life easier for your HR team and employees with dedicated time-tracking software from BambooHR. You’ll know exactly where you stand, whether your employees work full-time or part-time hours.