Employment Contracts vary widely, depending on whether employers hire employees permanently or temporarily and on a full-time or part-time basis. Below, we explain the differences between the main types of Employment Contracts.
Permanent full-time Employment Contract
Many employees hold permanent, full-time positions. For an Employment Contract to be considered permanent, it can’t have a predetermined end date. In other words, permanent contracts are indefinite until one or both parties terminate the arrangement.
Defining full-time is less straightforward because there isn’t a legal requirement of hours that classifies full-time employees. That being said, full-time employees usually work 35 hours or more a week.
Permanent part-time Employment Contract
Working part-time is also very common. Employees on a permanent part-time contract do not work full-time hours and have no predetermined end date.
Part-time hours can range from minimal to moderate hours as long as the employee is not working full-time.
Fixed-term Employment Contract
Employees on a fixed-term contract have a prearranged end date for their employment. This means the contract automatically expires on a specific date, and no notice is required from either party to end the employment at that time.
Employees on fixed-term Employment Contracts may work on a full-time or part-time basis. Often, employees on fixed-term contracts are hired temporarily (e.g., seasonal jobs).