Part-time and casual work
hen you arrive in
Australia, full-time work may not be immediately available to you,
in which case you may need to seek part-time or casual
employment.
Many people choose to work on a part-time or casual basis as it
suits their lifestyle. It is ideal for university students and
people with young children. Many women now return to part-time work
after having children rather than leave the workforce entirely, as
was common in the past.
Part-time work in Australia has always been dominated by women.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, as at August
2011, almost 75 per cent of the part-time workforce was female. The
number of men in part-time work has increased in recent years
however. Men are more likely than women to work part-time at the
start or end of their working lives.
Although the hours worked can be similar between part-time and
casual work, there are some important distinctions.
Part-time work
Like full-time employees, part-time workers have a regular
amount of hours that they work on an ongoing basis, although it is
less than the full-time 38-hour week.
Part-time employees are entitled to annual leave and sick leave,
but on a pro-rata basis. For example, someone who works 2.5 days
per week, would be entitled to two weeks annual leave, rather than
the four weeks that full-time employees receive.
Casual work
Casual employees aren’t guaranteed a set amount of hours every
week as part-time employees are. Their hours are often regular, but
they can change from week to week. One of the reasons that
companies hire casual workers is so they can have this flexibility
with their labour requirements.
Casual employees receive a higher rate of pay than part-time
employees as they aren’t entitled to annual leave or sick leave.
However, both casual and part-time workers are entitled to 9 per
cent superannuation payments on top of their
standard wage.