The Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act, 2001 provides that an employer cannot treat a part-time employee less favourably than a comparable full-time employee in respect of her/his conditions of employment including, pay, holidays, sick pay, pensions, access to jobs, promotion, training, etc.

However, the Act does allow for an employer to treat a part-time employee less favourably than a full-time employee if the reason for the different treatment is for the purpose of achieving a legitimate objective of the employer, and is not based solely on the part-time status of the employee.