SingleMothers.us
Part-time jobs for single mothers
Fewer hours a week, on days you can count on, so work fits around the help you have at home.
What part-time means day to day
Federal wage law has no single definition of part-time work. In practice it means fewer hours than the employer’s full-time week, often 15 to 30 hours, spread over a few full days or several shorter ones.
Set days usually help more than short days. Three full days a week lets you arrange child care, a grandparent or the other parent for the same days every week, and gives you two weekdays for everything else.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before 9 a.m. | School run | School run | School run | School run | School run | Family | Family |
| 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Work | Errands and appointments | Work | Work | Free | Family | Family |
| 1 to 5 p.m. | Work | Pickup and homework | Work | Work | Pickup and homework | Family | Family |
| After 5 p.m. | Family | Family | Family | Family | Family | Family | Family |
On work days, an after-school program or another adult covers pickup. Three set days make that easier to arrange than five short ones.
How an employer can set it up
Fix the days
Agree which days the role covers and keep them the same each week. Rotating days are much harder for a parent to staff at home.
Set an hours band
State the expected weekly hours in the offer, for example 20 to 24, so both sides know what a normal week looks like.
Prorate pay and paid time off
Pay the same hourly rate as full-time staff doing the same work, and give paid time off in proportion to the hours worked.
Consider a job share
Two part-time people can share one full-time role, with a short handover on one overlapping day.
Pay and the law
Benefits
Federal wage law does not require pay for time not worked, such as vacations or holidays, for part-time or full-time staff. For health coverage, employers with 50 or more full-time employees, counting equivalents, must treat anyone averaging 30 or more hours a week as full-time.
Retirement plans
401(k) plans must let long-term part-time employees save into the plan once they have worked at least 500 hours in each of two consecutive years, under rules that apply from plan years starting in 2025.
Family and medical leave
The Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. To qualify you need 12 months with the employer, at least 1,250 hours worked in the past 12 months, and a workplace with 50 or more employees within 75 miles. A 24-hour week for 52 weeks comes to 1,248 hours, just under the line.
Overtime
Overtime is due for hours over 40 in a workweek, whatever the job is called.
Questions about part-time jobs
How many hours count as part-time?
Federal wage law does not say. Each employer sets its own line, and benefit rules use their own tests, such as 30 hours a week for health coverage at larger employers.
Do part-time workers get paid sick leave?
In states with a paid sick leave law, part-time workers usually earn it too, building up by the hour worked. Your state guide explains the rules where you live.
Can a part-time job become full-time later?
Sometimes. Say so at the start if you would like more hours when your children are older, and we will look for employers who can offer that.
Tell us the days you can work
Send us the days and hours you can keep each week, your ZIP code and the work you have done. We look for part-time roles that fit.