A part-time employee may be treated in a less favourable manner than a comparable full-time employee where such treatment can be justified on objective grounds.  An objective ground means a reason which is based on something other than the status of the employee as a part-time employee. The less favourable treatment must also be for the purpose of achieving a legitimate objective of the employer and such treatment is necessary for that purpose

 

A part-time employee can be treated less favourably than a comparable full-time employee in relation to any pension scheme or arrangement when his/her normal hours of work constitutes less than 20 per cent of the normal hours of work of the comparable full-time employee.