Can an Employee Cut Part-Time Hours Anytime?

At many businesses, employees may request time off for recreation, depending on company policy.

An employee's right to cut part-time hours depends on the human resources policies of the company where he works. A company with a flexible scheduling policy will usually allow a part-time employee to opt out of a shift provided he gives sufficient notice, and there is another employee available to cover the hours. Many companies have formal procedures for requesting schedule changes, such as employee schedule request forms or a running wish list where employees can note scheduling needs.

Employee Scheduling Needs

For an employment situation to work, an employer takes his employee's scheduling needs into account. In a sense, this reality is fundamental to all work relationships: An employee will be unable to keep a job for very long if she is unable to pick her children up at school and they have no other way to get home. Employee scheduling needs may be serious, as with the necessity of caring for family members who cannot care for themselves. But some employee scheduling needs may be discretionary and even frivolous, such as an unwillingness to work on a particular day in order to watch a sporting event.

Employer Scheduling Needs

A successful work schedule must also meet the needs of the employer who creates it. Businesses earn income by meeting customer needs, and if these needs are specific to particular times and places, then employees must be available when their services are needed. For example, a business that operates a food concession at sporting events that take place on Sundays cannot operate if employees are unwilling to work on Sundays, and a bar that is open late cannot stay open with employees who need to be home early.

Scheduling Changes

The needs of both individuals and businesses vary over time, so most companies build some degree of flexibility into work schedules. Businesses that employ workers for shifts that are relatively consistent from week to week usually allow employees to request reasonable scheduling changes with sufficient notice through a formal or informal process. Businesses with employee schedules that change weekly must communicate regularly with employees about ongoing scheduling needs in order to avoid irreconcilable schedule conflicts.

Termination

If an employee cuts his own hours without his employer's prior approval, a manager has the option of terminating him from his position. Cutting your own hours without approval essentially amounts to not showing up for work on a day when you are scheduled. Few businesses can function effectively when employees simply come and go as they please.

References

• University of Houston: Employee Alternative Work Schedule Request Form
• Microsoft Office: Employee Shift Schedule
• Shiftwork Solutions: Changing Schedules