In line with federal law, the state of Texas allows employers to define full-time and part-time employee statuses on their own. However, the state government requires public employees to work at least 40 hours per week to qualify as a full-time worker.
While 40 hours is generally viewed as typical for full-time employment, private employers in Texas may opt to designate full-time as 37 hours, 35 hours or 32 hours, as examples. The Texas Workforce Commission does advise employers to clearly designate what constitutes full-time and part-time employment to avoid confusion among employees. Having part-time employees routinely working 40 hours per week may also lead to frustration that they are not receiving benefits equivalent to full-time workers.
The only exception to the state requirement that full-time, salaried public agency workers perform 40 hours of work per week is when they participate in voluntary work-reduction programs. Such programs are sometimes offered to state employees as a way to reduce labor expenses.
