What You Need to Know About Part-Time Employees
Key Takeaways
- Part-time status is legally defined by working hours (30–70% of full-time), making accurate workforce classification a critical compliance priority.
- Part-time employees are entitled to core statutory protections—including leave, minimum wage, and overtime—requiring HR to manage them with the same governance rigor as full-time staff.
- Mandatory contributions like EPF, SOCSO, and EIS apply equally to part-timers, meaning cost planning must account for more than just reduced salaries.
- Strategic use of part-time roles can enhance workforce flexibility, but inconsistent benefit policies may impact employer branding and retention.
- Converting roles or terminating part-time employees demands formal processes and contractual clarity, underscoring the need for disciplined HR documentation.
Organizations need to be flexible to survive, and flexibility comes from how we design work.
When deciding your staffing strategy, determining the number of full-time and part-time employees is crucial. However, the differences between the two go much deeper than just pay and working hours. Here’s all you need to know about part-time employees in Malaysia.
Who Is a Part-Time Employee?
Part-time employees are defined as employees who work between 30% to 70% of the normal working hours of a full-time employee, i.e. 48 hours per week. Any more than that, they will be considered full-time employees. Less than that and they are classed as ‘casual employees’ or freelancers.
What Are Part-Time Employees Entitled To?
The rights of part-time employees are covered by the Employment (Part-Time Employees) Regulations 2010. As subsidiary legislation made pursuant to the Employment Act 1955, part-time employees are also covered under the main Employment Act.
As such, part-time employees are entitled to much of the same benefits that full-time employees enjoy, such as minimum wages, leave, and overtime – albeit at reduced rates.
Here are some of the benefits that part-time employees enjoy:
Sick leave:
- 10 days per year if employed for 1–2 years,
- 13 days per year if employed for 2–5 years,
- 15 days per year if employed for longer than 5 years.
Annual leave:
- 6 days per year if employed for 1–2 years,
- 8 days per year if employed for 2–5 years,
- 11 days per year if employed for longer than 5 years.
Overtime:
- 1x hourly rate of pay if they exceed normal hours of work but do not exceed the normal hours of a full-time employee.
- 1.5x hourly rate of pay if they exceed the normal hours of a full-time employee.
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FAQs
Manage Part-Time Employees Right with brioHR
One of the most important aspects of managing a blended workforce is payroll. It’s essential to ensure that both part-time and full-time employees are paid accurately and on time.
brioHR’s payroll module enables your business to pay part-time employees on an hourly or monthly basis, calculate statutory deductions accurately, as well as being customizable to your needs. In addition, staff management is made easy with the leave module where you can see who is on leave at a single glance.
With a secure, scalable, user-friendly platform, brioHR covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.
This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.
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From payroll to onboarding, brioHR gives you everything you need in one place. Built for busy teams. Backed by people who care.
Conclusion
- Understanding part-time employment rules enables HR leaders to balance workforce agility with regulatory compliance.
- Clear classification, contracts, and documentation reduce legal risk while supporting scalable staffing strategies.
- Treating part-time employees with structured policies strengthens consistency, fairness, and employer reputation.
- When managed strategically, part-time roles can become a powerful lever for cost control, flexibility, and sustainable growth.
To learn more about how brioHR can transform your HR processes, check out BrioHR’s website or request a demo.
