The Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 (the “Regulations”) came into force on 1 July 2000.  This means that protection for part-timers no longer depends on proof of sex discrimination (i.e. on the basis that more women than men are part-time workers).  This is increasingly important as the proportion of part-timers continues to grow.

The Regulations apply to part-timers who are ‘workers’ and therefore it is not limited to just employees.

The aim of the Regulations is to ensure that part-time workers are treated no less favourably in their employment conditions than comparable full-timers unless this is justified on objective grounds.