Innovations, Permanent Part-Time Employment: A Staffing Option for State Government

摘要

Advantages and disadvantages of part-time employment in state government are reviewed in light of increasing interest in expanding part-time employment opportunities. Principal advantages are greater flexibility in shifting personnel to meet changing needs, expanded service to the public, retention of experienced employees who can no longer work full-time, recruitment of workers from a different labor pool, and frequently, higher productivity. Drawbacks include increased administrative support and fringe benefit costs and lack of employee commitment to the agency. Maryland and Massachusetts have established formal programs encouraging expansion of part-time employment which provide fringe benefits such as annual leave, health insurance, and tuition reimbursement. Employment rights are clearly delineated. Part-time employment in these programs has increased but at a slower rate than anticipated because of supervisory resistance and restraints on expansion of government employment. The programs in both states have proven beneficial when employment is geared to the characteristics of job tasks and an agency's needs. Employee productivity normally more than compensates for slightly higher fringe benefit costs.