Labour legislation provides for the application of reduced working hours and part-time working hours for certain categories of employees. In both cases, the employee’s daily or weekly working time is reduced. However, the grounds for applying these work regimes differ.

Reduced working hours are mainly determined based on the employee’s age, health condition, working environment, and the nature of the work performed. For example, weekly working hours must not exceed 24 hours for employees under the age of 16, while for employees aged 16 to 18, persons with disabilities caused by a 61–100 percent impairment of bodily functions, pregnant women, women with children under 18 months of age, and parents raising a child under the age of 3 alone, weekly working hours must not exceed 36 hours.

Employees working in hazardous conditions are also entitled to reduced working hours of no more than 36 hours per week. This applies to workplaces where physical, chemical, biological, or other production-related factors harmful to human health are present.

In addition, reduced working hours may also be established for employees engaged in work of a special nature requiring a high level of sensitivity, mental, physical, or nervous strain that may negatively affect human health. This category includes doctors, teachers, employees working with electrotechnical equipment, and persons employed in other workplaces specified by legislation.

Part-time working hours, however, are applied differently. This work regime is established by mutual agreement between the employee and employer either when concluding the employment contract or during the employment relationship. Part-time work may take the form of a reduced working day or a reduced working week. Its duration and the period for which it is applied are determined by agreement between the parties.

In some cases, the employer is required to establish part-time working hours based on the employee’s request. This may be related to the employee’s health condition, pregnancy, disability, or the need to care for a child or family member with a chronic illness. In addition, part-time working hours must be granted upon the request of women with children under the age of 14 or children with disabilities.

The main difference between reduced working hours and part-time working hours is that reduced working hours are provided by legislation for specially protected categories of employees and for hazardous or special types of work. Part-time working hours, on the other hand, are mainly applied based on mutual agreement and may arise from the employee’s personal, family, or health-related needs.

In both cases, employees’ labour rights are protected. No restriction of labour rights is allowed for employees working under part-time arrangements.