How many hours is considered full time employment?

While official full-time and part-time definitions do not exist at the federal level, legal and financial guidelines set a full-time week at 30 to 40 working hours. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not define employment as full-time or part-time.

Forbes explains that the Affordable Care Act defines a full-time week as 30 hours, meaning employers must pay for health insurance for any employee who reaches that ceiling. And the Department of Labor states that employees who work more than 40 hours per week are entitled to overtime pay. The Department of Labor explains that companies may define employment based on their own unique requirements.