Could Employing Two Part-Timers Be the Key to Getting People Back into the Office?

As organisations continue to grapple with hybrid working, team building, training junior staff, and underutilised office space, a more flexible hiring model could be the solution: splitting one full-time role into two part-time positions. While not a new idea, it could play a meaningful role in achieving more consistent office attendance.

From an employer perspective, part-time roles open the door to a broader and more diverse talent pool, including parents, students, semi-retirees, and those seeking better work-life balance. These individuals are often more open to structured, in-office time if it fits around their specific commitments. The result? People in the office across the week, rather than the familiar “midweek spike.”

There’s also a practical upside. Two part-time employees bring different strengths to the same role, often complementing each other. With staggered schedules, there is natural continuity; when one person is away, the other can step in. Furthermore, if one person leaves, the problem is halved, key knowledge is retained, and you have an existing team member to help the new hire get up to speed.

The Financials: A Win-Win for Both Sides
The cost question and the numbers reveal benefits for both the employer’s bottom line and the candidate’s pocket.

1. The Employer Saving
Take a standard £30,000 role. As a single full-time hire, the Employer National Insurance (ER NI) is roughly £3,750. However, if you split that into two £15,000 roles, the ER NI drops to approximately £1,500 per person.

ER NI on £30k: £3,750
ER NI on 2 x £15k: £3,000
Annual Saving: £750 per full-time equivalent (FTE)

While £750 might seem modest, the impact scales quickly:

Across 10 roles, that’s £7,500 per year.
Across 20 roles, that’s £15,000 per year.

2. Candidate Attraction
The potential game-changer lies in candidate attraction. Because of how personal tax thresholds work, a part-time worker takes home significantly more per hour than a full-time worker on the same pro-rata salary.

Consider a 36-hour week at a £30,000 salary (£16.02 per hour):
Full-Time (£30k): With a typical tax and NI threshold of £12570 per year, they will pay tax and NI on 17,430, so take-home pay is roughly £13.41 per hour.Part-Time (£15k): Because they earn only slightly more than the threshold, their take-home pay jumps to £15.29 per hour.
The Result: The hiring client can attract a higher-level experience for the same budget. A candidate might accept a pro-rata salary of £30k for a part-time role because their actual “hourly take-home” is so much stronger.

So What’s the Real Value?
This approach helps organisations move away from “forcing” office attendance and instead design roles that naturally fit into people’s lives. By utilising the a part-time model, businesses gain:

Enhanced Talent: More experience and higher skill levels for the same spend.
Financial Efficiency: Reduced employer NI contributions.
Consistent Presence: A balanced office environment throughout the full week.
Built-in Resilience: Natural cover during holidays and reduced “key person” risk.

What are your thoughts? Could splitting roles help your team’s dynamic?