Part time jobs will always be an integral part of our economy
For the small business, it is cost effective and avoids the pitfalls of our cumbersome legislation. In an ever changing business environment, it lessens the risks faced by entrepreneurs and allows flexibility of labour force.
For the large business, part time jobs are also part of a cost saving strategy. It reduces the human resource problems of a permanent labour force and the company avoids the financial burden of providing benefits such as medical aid and pension for it’s employees. The cost structure of the company is dramatically reduced and it allows flexibility in times of economic downturn when the company needs to down scale and shed jobs quickly.
For the employee, a part time job provides an income but does not have the security of full time employment, or the privilege of company benefits. This situation can be very stressful for an employee who has been part time for a reasonable amount of time, as they have become reliant on the income but always live with the threat of losing their livelihood and facing poverty.
Part time jobs are also largely dependent on the degree of skill. Skilled labour is expensive and can provide services which may otherwise not be economical. For example part time bookkeepers, HR managers and IT specialists provide an affordable service. The employer gets the benefit of the skill required and, in some cases, there may not be enough work to warrant a full time employee.
Unskilled workers provide additional labour when required, an example being seasonal workers who are employed for a specific time period to harvest crops on farms, construction sites where additional labour is required only for the duration of the contract.
Part time jobs will always exist. Whether it is beneficial or not to society is purely an academic question. It depends on which role you play - the employer or the employee. For the employer, it is no doubt a more flexible and cost effective management tool to control expenses to the company and to enable management to downscale quickly in a spirally economy but if your life depends on a part time job to put food on the table to feed your children, there is no question … It is a lifeline to avoid starvation in the short term.
