<P> Full - time employment is employment in which a person works a minimum number of hours defined as such by his / her employer . Full - time employment often comes with benefits that are not typically offered to part - time , temporary , or flexible workers , such as annual leave , sickleave , and health insurance . Part - time jobs are mistakenly thought by some to not be careers . However , legislation exists to stop employers from discriminating against part - time workers so this should not be a factor when making decisions on career advancement . They generally pay more than part - time jobs per hour , and this is similarly discriminatory if the pay decision is based on part - time status as a primary factor . The Fair Labor Standards Act ( FLSA ) does not define full - time employment or part - time employment . This is a matter generally to be determined by the employer ( US Department of Labor ) . The definition by employer can vary and is generally published in a company 's Employee Handbook . Companies commonly require from 35 to 40 hours per week to be defined as full - time and therefore eligible for benefits . </P>
hours of work to be considered full time
Companies commonly require from 35 to 40 hours per week to be defined as full - time