part-time work
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part-time work
A form of employment in which the working hours are shorter than those of a full-time employee. The number of weekly hours is below the full working time set by law or collective agreement.
Nach der Geburt ihres Kindes hat sie sich entschieden, in Teilzeit zu arbeiten.
After the birth of her child, she decided to work part-time.
The word is made up of 'Teil' (part) and 'Zeit' (time). So it literally describes work that makes up only part of the usual working time.
Viele Studierende haben einen Job in Teilzeit.
Many students have a part-time job.
'Teilzeit' is almost always used with the preposition 'in'. You say 'in Teilzeit arbeiten' (to work part-time), 'in Teilzeit sein' (to be part-time), or 'in Teilzeit wechseln' (to switch to part-time).
Er möchte seine Arbeitsstunden reduzieren und in Teilzeit gehen.
He wants to reduce his working hours and go part-time.
Common word combinations are 'eine Teilzeitstelle' (a part-time position) or 'ein Teilzeitjob' (a part-time job). The phrase 'halbtags arbeiten' (to work half-days) is also often used in this context.
Die Firma bietet mehrere Teilzeitstellen im Marketing an.
The company offers several part-time positions in marketing.
minijob
'die Teilzeit' (part-time work) and 'der Minijob' (minijob) both have to do with work where you do not work full-time. But they are not the same thing. 'Teilzeit' mainly describes the working hours: you work fewer hours than full-time, but can still have a regular permanent position. 'Minijob' describes a special form of employment in Germany with a legal earnings limit and special rules. Learners confuse the words because both often mean fewer working hours. The important point is: Teilzeit is based on hours; Minijob is mainly based on the legal earnings limit.
Frau Schmidt arbeitet in Teilzeit, damit sie nachmittags bei ihrer Familie sein kann.
Ms. Schmidt works part-time so that she can be with her family in the afternoons.
Nele hat am Wochenende einen Minijob in einer Bäckerei.
Nele has a minijob in a bakery on weekends.