<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject . You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate . (April 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject . You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate . (April 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <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> <P> Full - Time status varies between company and is often based on the shift the employee must work during each work week . The "standard" work week consists of five eight - hour days, commonly served between 9: 00 AM to 5: 00 PM or 10: 00 AM to 6: 00 PM totaling 40 hours . While a four - day week generally consists of four ten - hour days; it may also consist of as little as nine hours for a total of a 36 - hour work week . Twelve - hour shifts are often three days per week, unless the company has the intention of paying out the employee overtime . Overtime is legally paid out anytime an employee works more than 40 hours per week . The legal minimum for overtime starts at Base Pay + One - Half . The increased payout is considered to compensate slightly for the increased fatigue which a person experiences on such long shifts . Shifts can also be very irregular, as in retail, but are still full - time if the required number of hours is reached . There are some situations where a person who needs full - time work is dropped to part - time, which is sometimes a form of constructive dismissal to avoid paying unemployment benefits to a laid - off worker . </P>

What is the legal definition of full time employment