A part-time employee is someone who works fewer hours than a full-time employee. They are usually employed on a TEMPORARY basis and may work for a few hours a week or a few days a month. The term 'TEMP' is often used to refer to a part-time employee, as it is an acronym for 'TEMPORARY'. Part-time employees are often used to fill in for full-time employees who are on vacation or sick leave, or to cover seasonal or peak workloads.