Part-Time vs Full-Time Employment: Key Features, Benefits, and Drawbacks

16.04.2025

Today we’re breaking down the differences between full-time and part-time work, the pros and cons of each format, and how to figure out which one is right for you.

In this article:
1. Definition
2. Part-Time Employment
3. Full-Time Employment
4. What to Choose: Full-Time or Part-Time?

Definition

Full-time and part-time are the two main types of employment, differing in the number of hours worked per week and the terms of employment.

What is Full-Time?

Full-time work typically means holding a permanent position with a standard schedule of 35 to 40 hours per week. Employees in full-time roles often receive a benefits package that includes paid vacation, sick leave, pension contributions, and other perks. This kind of job can be either office-based or a full-time remote position, depending on the employer's setup and the nature of the work.

What is Part-Time?

Part-time work involves 10 to 30 hours per week, making it a good option for those who are juggling other responsibilities—like students, young parents, or freelancers. Part-time jobs usually offer a flexible schedule, though they don’t always include benefits. This type of role can be either ongoing or temporary—for example, on seasonal projects. With the rise of online part-time jobs and remote part-time positions, it’s now easier than ever to find flexible work that fits your lifestyle.

Which roles are usually hired on a part-time basis, and which ones almost always require full-time?

We asked Artem Polansky, CEO & CMO with 20+ years of expertise, an expert in Martech, B2C, and marketing, to weigh in. Here's what he shared:

Artem Polansky

CEO & CMO with 20+ years of expertise

In the early stages or when launching new products and services, I prefer to assign projects to external development teams to ensure speed of execution. This allows us to reach results faster and adapt products to market demands.

For maintaining and evolving existing products and features, full-time specialists are ideal. They help optimise costs and ensure the stability of products over the long term. This approach allows us to manage resources effectively and maintain the right balance of flexibility, depending on the company's stage and the specifics of each project.

I also bring in consultants and experts on a part-time basis for highly specialised tasks or strategic initiatives. Meanwhile, I keep key specialists – those responsible for continuous development and internal knowledge retention – on full-time contracts. These are the people who protect and grow our internal expertise, which is crucial for the company’s future growth.

Part-Time Employment

Many talented IT specialists are looking for ways to increase their income, making them more open to considering part-time work. The perfect example is Tatiana Lando, a researcher at Google DeepMind specializing in the language behavior of AI models. Before that, she worked as a linguist at Google UK in London and at Yandex in Moscow.

Tatiana shared her experience with us:

Tatiana Lando

Conversational AI | Linguistics | Data for LLMs

I’m currently working at 70% capacity – this is my third time transitioning to part-time over nine years at Google. This time, I don't plan to return to 100%, although I might eventually move to 80%.

She mentioned that the opportunity to shift to part-time first came up back in 2019:

Tatiana Lando

Conversational AI | Linguistics | Data for LLMs

At that point, I had some minor health issues and asked to reduce my workload to 80%. There were no objections. I worked four days a week for a year while leading a team of eight people. After my health improved, I realized part-time work actually suited me better. And no one pressured me to return to full-time.

The ability to work part-time often depends heavily on the company’s internal processes. In the broader market, few roles are initially offered as part-time:

Tatiana Lando

Conversational AI | Linguistics | Data for LLMs

There aren’t many part-time vacancies – companies rarely structure roles that way, and it’s harder to attract candidates. Smaller companies usually can’t afford it.

However, in major tech corporations like Google, part-time setups are much more common:

Tatiana Lando

Conversational AI | Linguistics | Data for LLMs

Google is very supportive of part-time work, though a lot still depends on your manager and team. In every team I moved to afterward, I was able to request part-time without any issues. My performance was always evaluated proportionally to the hours I worked.

From the employer’s perspective, part-time presents an advantage for employers seeking to fill difficult positions. By offering part-time roles, you can attract highly qualified individuals who might not be available for full-time commitments.

Additionally, companies may need to expand their teams and choose to employ part-time staff to cover peak hours or seasonal demand. The work might also be project-based, requiring a specialist only for the project duration. In these cases, hiring a part-time specialist is a more cost-effective solution.

Before making a decision, estimate the workload and plan the required hours. Usually, there is no one-size-fits-all solution — working hours depend on individual cases.

For example, we once helped an American company find a Senior Frontend Developer who joined the client’s project team for just 20 hours a week—if you haven’t read our case study yet, be sure to check it out!

Pros of Part-Time Work

Part-time roles offer benefits for both candidates and employers.

For employers:

Access to hard-to-find specialists. Part-time arrangements can attract top professionals who aren’t open to full-time roles.
Budget flexibility. You only pay for the actual hours worked.
Great for short-term needs. Ideal for handling peak workloads or bringing in support for specific projects.

For candidates:

Flexible schedule. Allows you to adapt work hours around studies, family, or other commitments.
Work-life balance. More time for rest, personal growth, and hobbies.
Extra income. You can take on multiple projects or side gigs to boost earnings.

Downsides of Part-Time Work

There are also some problems of part-time employment:

For employers:

Limited engagement. Part-time employees may be less involved or available for company processes.
Risk of misalignment. Teamwork can become challenging for part-time staff if schedules don’t match across the team.

For candidates:

Unstable income. Earnings depend on the number of hours worked and can vary month to month.
Limited access to benefits. Things like health insurance, paid vacation, and other perks are often not included.
Career growth may be slower. Promotions and participation in strategic projects may be less accessible. However, as Tatiana Lando points out:

Tatiana Lando

Conversational AI | Linguistics | Data for LLMs

In my experience, many part-time employees continue to grow in their careers and take on exciting projects.

Part-time work is often set up without a standard employment contract. Instead, companies might work with people as independent contractors, sole proprietors, or self-employed individuals. Sometimes, there’s no official agreement at all – just a verbal arrangement.

There are also some specific considerations that come with this type of arrangement:

You’re responsible for handling your own taxes.
The company can end the contract unilaterally, with no severance.
There are no standard protections for things like sick leave, parental leave, or paid vacation.

Full-Time Employment

Despite changes in the IT job market over the past few years, certain regions, like Eastern Europe, still remain candidate-driven markets. This makes hiring an experienced specialist for a full-time position a real challenge, especially when it comes to senior-level roles.

Full-time work typically involves formal employment—under labor law (like an employment contract), as an individual entrepreneur (IE), or through freelance/self-employed agreements. It’s one of the most common forms of collaboration.

However, hiring under a full-time contract comes with certain risks for employers. If an employee acts in bad faith, terminating the agreement can be difficult—it often requires inspections, documentation, and strict adherence to legal procedures.

While part-time jobs are a great way to start a career, gaining full-time work experience can open the door to career advancement and higher salaries.

Pros of Full-Time Work

There are advantages for both employers and candidates when it comes to full-time employment.

For Employers:

Stability. Full-time employees are more deeply involved in processes, have a strong understanding of the product, clients, and market specifics.
Responsiveness. They’re available throughout the full workday, which makes coordination easier and speeds up task completion.
Team building. Long-term team members are more likely to align with company goals and are invested in its growth and success.
Trainability. Full-time staff are integrated into the company culture, take part in internal training, and continuously develop their skills.

For Candidates:

Stable income. A guaranteed salary and financial security, which is especially important if you have loans, a family, or other obligations.
Social benefits. Official employment often includes paid vacation, sick leave, pension contributions, health insurance, and more.
Career growth. Full-time employees are more likely to be offered promotions and take part in strategic projects.
Teamwork and development. Working within a team, access to mentorship, and knowledge sharing all contribute to both professional and personal growth.

Cons of Full-Time Work

That said, there are also some drawbacks to consider.

For Employers:

Higher costs. Usually full-time employees are more expensive due to salary, benefits, taxes, and additional expenses.
Complex offboarding. Terminating an employee under labor law can be bureaucratic and time-consuming, even when justified.
Limited flexibility. If there’s a drop in workload, it’s harder to reduce hours or reassign tasks compared to part-time arrangements.

For Candidates:

Less flexibility. A fixed schedule doesn’t always allow for adjustments based on personal circumstances.
Risk of burnout. Long hours, high responsibility, and constant pressure can lead to emotional exhaustion.
Less time for personal life. It can be harder to maintain work-life balance, especially on fast-paced or high-intensity projects.
Narrower focus. Working in a single niche for a long time can limit your exposure to other areas, making transitions more challenging later on.

What to Choose: Full-Time or Part-Time?

In general, both forms of employment have their pros and cons, which candidates and companies should consider. Employers should evaluate each position individually to determine the best option based on the specifics of the job opening.

When choosing between full-time and part-time candidates, Artem Polansky advises:

Artem Polansky

CEO & CMO with 20+ years of expertise
It’s important to understand that not every candidate can maintain the necessary discipline when working part-time. I prefer to focus on a few key factors:
- Professional compatibility: a relevant portfolio, solid experience, and the ability to deliver results on time.
- Communication compatibility: effective communication skills and a constructive approach to problem-solving. Communication style matters a lot here too.
- Organisational compatibility: respect for deadlines and flexibility with schedules.
- Cultural compatibility: the ability to adapt to international projects and respect cultural differences.
Taking all these factors into account helps create psychological safety within teams focused on innovation and growth – where the number of hours worked becomes less important than the quality of collaboration.

For Employers

When to consider part-time:

The workload is limited or unpredictable, and keeping someone full-time isn’t practical.
The project is short-term, urgent, or needs quick adjustments.
You need a rare or niche specialist who isn’t looking for a permanent position.
Budget constraints don’t allow for hiring a full-time employee with full benefits.

Things to keep in mind:

Part-timers are usually hired under freelance, contractor, or self-employed agreements. This gives you flexibility, but reduces control.
An hourly rate for a part-time expert may be higher than a full-time salary, but overall costs tend to be lower – especially if the workload is small.
It’s easier to end a part-time contract, but harder to ensure consistent involvement and engagement.

When full-time makes more sense:

The project is long-term and requires stability and high engagement.
The employee needs to be fully immersed in internal processes and work closely with the team every day.
You plan to invest in training and grow in-house expertise.

Potential challenges:

Full-time employees are often hired under formal employment contracts, which can involve legal complexities. Letting go of an underperformer isn’t always simple.
Full-time hiring is usually more expensive: regular salary, taxes, paid leave, health insurance, and other benefits.
It may be hard to find experienced professionals willing to work full-time – especially in competitive regions.

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For Candidates

Working full-time or part-time comes with its own set of pros and cons – here's what you need to know to choose the right employment type.

Here’s what Tatiana Lando advises:

Tatiana Lando

Conversational AI | Linguistics | Data for LLMs

When I first started out, I thought part-time work was only possible for medical reasons. But later, I realised that many colleagues were choosing part-time intentionally – and still building successful careers.

When part-time might be a good fit:

You need more flexibility – you're juggling multiple projects, studying, raising children, or prefer to set your own schedule.
You already have a main source of income, and the part-time role is supplemental.
You want to explore a new direction without quitting your current job.

Important to remember:

Most part-time work is set up through self-employment, freelance, or contract agreements – which means you’re responsible for your own taxes and reporting.
The employer can usually end the partnership unilaterally, without compensation or extended notice.
This type of role often doesn’t include paid vacation, sick leave, or other labor protections you’d get with a full-time job.

When full-time may be better:

You’re looking for stable income, official work history, paid time off, sick leave, and pension contributions.
You want career growth, involvement in strategic tasks, and opportunities to take on more responsibility.
It’s important for you to be part of a team, understand the internal workings, and have a clear long-term path.

Considerations:

A fixed schedule limits your flexibility – it’s harder to balance side projects, personal time, or study.
Constant workload can lead to burnout, especially if the company doesn’t promote a healthy work-life balance.
Staying in one niche for too long without growth can lead to professional stagnation or “getting stuck” in one direction.

How will the job market evolve in the future?

Artem Polansky shares his perspective:

Artem Polansky

CEO & CMO with 20+ years of expertise

I believe that within the next 5–10 years, most people will combine freelancing, working for companies, and running their own businesses. Freelance and remote work will become the new norm.

Traditional resumes will lose their importance, and HR teams will focus more on real-world experience and online portfolios.
Artificial intelligence will boost productivity, helping not only with routine tasks but also with strategic planning.

This more flexible approach will open up new opportunities for professional growth and allow individuals to make the most of their personal resources.

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Alexandra Godunova

Content Manager in Lucky Hunter

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