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full-timer

C1
UK/ˌfʊl ˈtaɪ.mər/US/ˌfʊl ˈtaɪ.mɚ/

Formal, Business, Human Resources

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Definition

Meaning

A person who works a standard full schedule of hours for their job, typically considered a permanent employee.

An employee contracted to work the complete, standard number of hours defined by their employer or industry, as opposed to part-time or temporary workers. It can also, less commonly, refer to someone fully dedicated to a single activity or pursuit.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Primarily a noun. Implies a formal employment status with associated rights and benefits (e.g., paid leave, pension). Contrasts directly with 'part-timer' and often with 'contractor' or 'temp'.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Both varieties use the term. In UK contexts, the standard full-time week is often considered 35-40 hours. In the US, it is typically 40 hours. The hyphen is standard, but 'fulltimer' is occasionally seen.

Connotations

Neutral in both, denoting official employment status. Slightly more formal than simply saying 'full-time employee'.

Frequency

Common in official HR documents, job advertisements, and workplace discussions in both regions. Slightly more common in UK business English.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
permanent full-timerbecome a full-timerhire full-timersfull-timer benefits
medium
company full-timersstatus as a full-timerswitch from part-timer to full-timer
weak
new full-timerexperienced full-timerteam of full-timers

Grammar

Valency Patterns

[be/become] a full-timer[employ/hire/recruit] full-timers[as] a full-timer

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

salaried employee (if paid a salary)

Neutral

full-time employeepermanent employeeregular staff member

Weak

stafferworker

Vocabulary

Antonyms

part-timerpart-time employeetemporary workercontractorfreelancer

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “Go full-timer (informal: to transition to full-time employment or dedication)”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Used in HR to classify staff for benefits, budgeting, and reporting.

Academic

Rare; may appear in sociology or economics papers discussing labour markets.

Everyday

Used in conversations about one's job status, e.g., 'I've just been made a full-timer.'

Technical

Core term in employment law and human resources management.

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

  • The role does not verb.

American English

  • This word is not used as a verb.

adverb

British English

  • The adverbial form is 'full-time', as in 'He works full-time'.

American English

  • The adverb is 'full-time': 'She is employed full-time'.

adjective

British English

  • The adjective form is 'full-time', as in 'full-time position'.

American English

  • Use 'full-time' adjectivally: 'full-time equivalent'.

Examples

By CEFR Level

A2
  • She is a full-timer at the shop.
B1
  • The company offers health insurance to all its full-timers.
B2
  • After two years as a contractor, she was finally offered a full-timer position with benefits.
C1
  • The new legislation aims to close the pay gap between part-timers and full-timers performing comparable roles.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of a time sheet completely FILLED with hours. FULL-TIMER = someone whose work TIME sheet is FULL.

Conceptual Metaphor

EMPLOYMENT IS A CONTAINER (A full-timer fills the standard container of working hours).

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

  • Avoid calquing as 'полный таймер'. The correct conceptual translation is 'штатный сотрудник с полным рабочим днём' or simply 'постоянный сотрудник на полную ставку'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'full-timer' to mean 'someone who is always on time' (that would be a 'stickler for punctuality').
  • Omitting the hyphen, leading to ambiguity (though 'fulltimer' is sometimes accepted).
  • Using it as an adjective (e.g., 'a full-timer job' is incorrect; use 'full-time job').

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
The firm is looking to convert several temporary agency workers into permanent .
Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the most direct antonym of 'full-timer' in an employment context?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

It is standardly hyphenated: full-timer. Some style guides may accept 'fulltimer', but the hyphen clarifies the compound.

Not typically for employment. A student taking a full course load is a 'full-time student'. 'Full-timer' specifically implies employment.

Full-timers are usually entitled to a complete set of employment benefits (paid holiday, sick pay, pension contributions) which may be pro-rated or unavailable to part-timers, depending on jurisdiction.

It is standard in business and HR contexts. In very casual speech, people might say 'I work full-time' rather than 'I'm a full-timer'.