Full time or Part time classification need help

[kyleclark]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New Jersey

What is considered full time employment in NJ? Here is my question. My wife has been working in a shop Bridal since June. She was hired as part-time since that was what was available at the time. She just received her work schedule for Thanksgiving week and a girl they hired full time (two weeks after my wife) in the same capacity is getting holiday pay and my wife is not. They both basically work the amount hours 30-34 hrs when it is slow and 33-39 hours when it is busy. We now realise that my wife will never get holiday pay, paid vacation or sick time due to her part time staus and the companies policy towards part time workers. Their hand book states that full time employees work at least 35 hours a week (never over 40) and part time workers 20-34 hours a week. So it seems that even since my wife and the full time girl work very close to the same hours the f/t girl reaps the benefits of her f/t classification..? What is considered f/t employment in NJ?************** Need some direction and clarity, any help??

Thanks in advance,
Kyle

 

[cbg]

There is no Federal definition of full time vs. part time, and NJ is not one of the very few states that has such a definition either. What is full time and what is part time is whatever the employer says it is.

 

[kyleclark]

There is no Federal definition of full time vs. part time, and NJ is not one of the very few states that has such a definition either. What is full time and what is part time is whatever the employer says it is.

Ok, thanks for that info. So whatever the company says is f/t has to apply equally to all. If I am right here and one person is f/t and the other is p/t but both work close to same hours above what the company calls f/t the part timer should be eligible for f/t benefits at some point.... right?

Thanks,
Kyle

 

[ecmst12]

That depends on how the company defines it, and how the insurance policy defines it in the case of healthcare or other insurance.

 

[kyleclark]

That depends on how the company defines it, and how the insurance policy defines it in the case of healthcare or other insurance.

The issue isn't so much the matter of healthcare or other insurance right now. It would be about a company policy as it pertains to sick time, paid holidays and vacation time as part timers do not get these while working very close to the same amount of hours as f/t employees who receive this paid time off.

 

[cbg]

"Close to" the same hours is not the same hours. If the employer sets full time at 35 hours, for example, and one employee works 34 hours and another works 35, that's "close to" the same hours but one would be entitled to benefits and the other wouldn't.