Does it cost an employer more money to employ 2 part timers rather than 1 full timer?

Miss_Moneysaver

Hi,

A couple of girls at work are wanting to reduce hours and go part time. We have part timers already. Manager is refusing as he says it costs them (the employer) more money to have 2 part timers rather than 1 full timer (something to do with national insurance, I think).
Is this right?

surreysaver

More sick pay, more annual leave, more uniforms, double the administrative costs (twice as much work for paybills, hr etc), twice as much staff discounts or other perks, twice as much recruitment costs.

zagfles

Miss_Moneysaver wrote: »

Hi,

A couple of girls at work are wanting to reduce hours and go part time. We have part timers already. Manager is refusing as he says it costs them (the employer) more money to have 2 part timers rather than 1 full timer (something to do with national insurance, I think).
Is this right?

It's rubbish as far as NI goes - it would save the employer NI as each employee gets a threshold before the employer needs to start paying NI.

But depending on the job there are other costs, for instance 2 staff members to train, to keep up to date with latest developments, latest customer issues etc.

I recently shared a secondment part time with a colleague, doing a development project, and ended up spending half my time either writing up an update for my colleague so he could take over from where I'd left off, or reading and trying to understand his updates so I could carry on from him! We'd have finished it weeks earlier if it had been just one of us on it (either of us!).

Same when I worked shifts on support - handovers mean giving updates on all ongoing issues, unavoidable when eg handing over from dayshift to night shift, but if say one person works mornings and the other afternoons you've doubled the amount of handovers you need.

Of course some jobs won't have these issues.

gettingtheresometime

How can the costs be increased?

The people are already employed (no recruitment costs) presumably know their job ( no training costs) same level of holiday etc

Personally I think it's the hassle factor he doesn't want.

missbiggles1

Perhaps they should look at arranging a job share rather than separate part time jobs?

paddyrg

Costs from handovers, payroll runs, internal accounting procedures - it won't cost less than a single employee.

What they should do is sell it to the boss not in cost grounds but on the benefit of business continuity where one can step in if other goes sick, etc

TELLIT01

There are additional costs although they might not all be obvious. There is the added cost of maintaining 2 personnel files, preparing 2 payroll entries etc. There are also the hidden costs of non-productive time. For example, both staff would need to read all new working processes, even those produced on their non-working days. Say it normally takes 10 minutes per day; for 1 person that's 50 minutes, for 2 people it becomes 100 minutes.
These are just a couple of examples, there will be others.

Tiddlywinks

Miss_Moneysaver wrote: »

Hi,

A couple of girls at work are wanting to reduce hours and go part time. We have part timers already. Manager is refusing as he says it costs them (the employer) more money to have 2 part timers rather than 1 full timer (something to do with national insurance, I think).
Is this right?

So, is this the same manager you had issues with? The one you feel is less able than you? The one where you had the thread deleted because people thought you were causing your own problems?

Are you looking for ways to undermine this manager from another angle by helping the 'girls' put in a counter-argument?

Don't draw others into your personal issues - it won't end well.

sangie595

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

So, is this the same manager you had issues with? The one you feel is less able than you? The one where you had the thread deleted because people thought you were causing your own problems?

Are you looking for ways to undermine this manager from another angle by helping the 'girls' put in a counter-argument?

Don't draw others into your personal issues - it won't end well.

^^^^ This ^^^^^

Whoever the manager is, this is really none of your business. If you want to be a union rep, join one and then stand for election. But otherwise, getting involved in other peoples business is likely to backfire. If they want to challenge what the manager has said, then that is up to them to do - not for you to get ammunition for them. If you want to help, point them to the site and let them ask the questions.

takman

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

So, is this the same manager you had issues with? The one you feel is less able than you? The one where you had the thread deleted because people thought you were causing your own problems?

Are you looking for ways to undermine this manager from another angle by helping the 'girls' put in a counter-argument?

Don't draw others into your personal issues - it won't end well.

That's exactly what I was thinking. No point in taking the time to reply because if she doesn't like the answers the thread will be deleted!.