Part-time work means a regular weekly working time below the company's standard full-time level. There are no fixed hour thresholds – a full-time role of 39 hours reduced to 35 hours already counts as part-time. Common models range from half-day roles to four-day weeks and individual hybrid arrangements.
The Part-Time and Fixed-Term Act (TzBfG) grants employees the right to reduce working time, provided the employment has lasted more than six months and the company has more than 15 employees. Since 2019, "bridge part-time" (Brückenteilzeit) additionally allows time-limited reductions with the right to return to full-time.
For employees, part-time is a central tool for balancing family and work, studying alongside employment, or protecting health. It may have long-term implications for promotion and pension – reductions should therefore be planned carefully.
Lunigi surfaces a particularly large share of part-time-friendly roles from the public sector, education and social services – areas where flexible models are structurally anchored.