Most professional employees usually seek full-time jobs because in most cases, they provide benefits for the employees. Because full-time employment in the USA offers benefits, such as health insurance coverage, paid-off time, and retirement plans. This article will explore everything related to USA Employment, How Many Hours are Considered Full-time.
Employers allow employees to determine what they consider as full-time work in the United States. Therefore, both parties will then agree on how many hours are considered full-time.
How Many Hours Is Considered Full Time In The USA?
In the United States, Full-time work position is considered to be at least 30 to 40 hours per week.
Although, there is no legal distinction binding this, the IRS’s guidelines for full-time employees it limited to at least 30 hours per week or 130 hours per month minimum.
In most cases, some full-time positions may expect more than 40 hours per week or less. However, the Fair Labor Standards Act(FLSA) does not have a specific number of hours an employee must work to determine whether it is full-time or not.
FLSA also states that employees must make at least minimum wage for all hours worked up to 40 hours per week.
Any additional hours worked during seven days must be paid at one and a half times their current hourly wage. Employers must make their distinction between full-time and part-time work. Also, Full-time employees are entitled to be paid at least the minimum wage for up to 40 working hours.
What Is Considered Overtime Hours In The United States?
The Fair Labor Standard Act considers overtime as any number of hours a nonexempt employee works over 40 hours in a standard work week. Some employers consider employees who work 35 hours per week full time and anything over 35 as overtime.
Note that this calculation may differ depending on the employee’s state and has requirements that include double time, which are more favorable to the employee due to the extra pay and other benefits.
Because most salary workers are not always concerned about the benefits of working more than 40 hours.
What Is The Standard Workweek?
The standard work week is used to know at what point workers begin to do overtime. In the USA, the standard work week is 40 hours for most workers working 5 days a week, for eight hours per day.
Any employee working over 40 hours is considered overtime. However, some employers consider 37.5 hours to be full-time, considering 30 minutes of unpaid lunch breaks each day.
How Do Full-Time Hours Charge For Exempt Employees?
Exempt employees are expected to work the number of hours that are necessary to complete tasks associated with their particular job.
So it does not matter if it takes them 30 hours or more. Exempt employees are excluded from overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Exempt employees are also known as salaried employees. Their income does not change based on the number of hours that they work. So, overtime rules do not apply to exempt employees.
The FLSA provides no limits to working hours per week. This means that the organization has no financial reasons to discriminate employees from working long hours.
Exempt employees are paid for the exact tasks they perform. Many exempt employees work far more than 40 hours each week to complete their duties or to show how much they are dedicated to their jobs.
What Are The Benefits Provided To Full-Time Employees?
Below are some of the benefits provided to full-time employees:
1. Medical Coverage
The most common employee benefit that employers offer full-time employees is medical coverage. The key health insurance features include pre and post-hospitalizations, the cost of treatment and surgery, and coverage for hospitalization expenses.
Medical coverage benefits include daycare procedures, coverage for pre-existing illnesses after a waiting period, and cashless hospitalization.
2. Disability Benefits
Disability Benefits is a monthly benefit that is paid to employees who are unable to work for a year or more because of their disability. There is usually a 5-month waiting period, and the employer will pay your first benefit the 6th full month after the date of your disability began.
Some employers may offer temporary disability insurance plans that provide income support to employees who have suffered an illness or injury outside of work.
3. Retirement Planning
Retirement Planning is available depending on the company, and through most employers, and sometimes it differs.
The requirement option most employers offer includes 403 (b) retirement plans. This is often available for employees working at a nonprofit organization. 401(k) and IRA plans are simplified employee pension (SEP) plans.
4. Life Insurance Policies
In most organizations, employers usually provide life insurance plans as part of an employee benefits package.
Life insurance policies provide cash when you need it most. Life insurance terms last for as long as the employee works for their employer.
These life insurance policies are often group terms life insurance. This means that the insurer provides the employer with a master contract that extends life insurance coverage to all staff members, and it’s in effect for a while.
5. Specialist Services
Specialist services are useful for employees who are looking for specialized care for their health conditions.
This specialist service includes a referral from a primary care physician. From dermatological health services to sleep specialists, other health coverage options include coverage for nonroutine specialist exams and procedures.
6. Family Leave
Family leave benefits are available to employees who need to take time off work to take care of a seriously ill family member, or bond with their family.
Many employee benefits packages, such as family leave plans. Depending on the employer, employees may take up to 12 weeks off of work to stay with family and their infants.
7. Maternity And Paternity Leave
Maternity and paternity leave is another benefit employers offer their full-time employees parental leave policy varies depending on the employer.
This package allows employees to take their time off work following the birth of their child and may last anywhere from two weeks to six months.
8. Paid Time Off
Paid time off, also known as PTO or personal time off, is compensated time away from work being provided by an employer to employees for them to use as they see fit.
The amount of hours you can earn period can vary between employers. Most employers offer paid time off allowing employees to schedule personal days off from work.
9. Child Care
Most employers offer onsite daycare or reimburse employees for their childcare expenses up to a certain amount per month. Employers offer discounts or free childcare for their employees.
10. Pension
A pension is a retirement package that guarantees an employee a certain amount of income per year when they retire.
So, working in an organization that offers a retirement plan like this can help you earn financial security during retirement.
Full-Time Vs Part-Time Job What Is The Difference?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) defines full-time employment as “Full-time employment is, for a calendar month an employee employed on average at least 30 hours of service per week, or 130 hours of service per month.”
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Full-time employment is usually 35 hours or more per week. While part-time employment is usually 1- 34 hours per week.
The major difference between full-time jobs and part-time jobs is the number of hours they work. Full-time employment is usually considered between 30 to 40 hours per week, while part-time employment is typically less than 30 hours a week.
In most cases, some full-time employees may expect more than 40 hours per week. Some part-time jobs may offer paid time off or healthcare coverage.
How Do You Qualify For The Family Medical And Leave Act (FMLA)?
Employees are eligible for leave only if they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, or at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months.
Also, if the employee works at a location where the company employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles. The following reasons to qualify for the FMLA may include:
- Birth and care of a newborn child
- Caring for an immediate family member with a health condition
- Fostering or adopting a child
- Inability to work due to serious health issues or disability.
Why You Should Consider Being a Full-Time Employee
You should consider being a full-time employee for the insurance benefits it offers. The majority of these full employers offer benefits that include dental plans and life assurance as a way of retaining and attracting reliable professional workers.
Also, Employers offer anything from insurance to short-term disability coverage, and some employers also pay insurance policies in full.
Hence, Full-time workers receive a consistent paycheck delivered weekly, bi-weekly, or Monthly. Also, full-time employees are usually provided with good job security compared to part-time employees. Individuals who work as full-time employees receive good career advancement opportunities.
In most cases, A full-time employee already has a fixed working schedule that defines the day they are expected to work as well as starting and finishing hours.
What Are The Downsides Of Being a Full-Time Employee In The USA?
Here are some of the downsides of being a full-time employee in the USA:
1. Less Flexibility
As an employee who is working full-time, it can be difficult to balance your personal life and your work life.
Full-time employment can be rigorous because it requires your full-time commitments from most of the week, which is 40 hours from 9 am to 5 pm each day.
2. More Vulnerable To Work-Related Issues
Most full-time employees may be vulnerable to experiencing work-related stress compared to freelancers or part-time employees due to their longer commitments to the workplace.
Full-time employees may be experiencing workload pressures from their boss, and also work deadlines, and a lot of responsibilities related to their work.
3. Tendency To Become Stagnant
Employees who are comfortable in their full-time employment position may feel too comfortable to stay in the same position with the same company for a long period.
This may result in career stagnation, and they may feel so reluctant to pursue other good career opportunities presented to them. That is why, it is crucial and advisable to step out of your comfort zone.
4. Burnout
Full-time employees tend to work for more hours, with a lot of responsibilities.
Also, employers’ higher expectations could lead to a full-time employee feeling overwhelmed, taken advantage of, or just tired of their job. Full-time work can often be demanding and cause workers to stress.
Are Full-Time Employees Eligible For Overtime Pay?
According to FLSA, employers must offer overtime pay to hourly employees who work more than 40 hours per week. Although, not all full-time workers are eligible for overtime pay.
Under FLSA, workers are either exempt or nonexempt. This means that exempt employees are not eligible for overtime pay while nonexempt employees are eligible for the pay.
Are You a Full-Time Employee If You Work 30 To 35 Hours Per Week?
Full-time workers are considered to work 30 to 40 hours per week. Depending on the way the employer defines full-time employment. So, if you work 30 to 35 hours per week, you may be qualified as a full-time employee.
While working 30 hours per week may entitle you to benefits with one employer, you may need to work a minimum of 35 hours per week to earn benefits with another employer.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics definition of full-time is 35 to 40 hours per week.
Conclusion
Full-time employment in the United States comes with several benefits and few downsides.
However, 30 to 40 hours is considered full-time employment in the United States. With this article, we hope you have gained insight into how many hours are considered full-time in the US.
References
- Indeed.com
- bamboohr.com
- upcounsel.com
