The number of hours an employee must work to be considered full-time and eligible for employee benefits such as health insurance, paid time off (including vacation leave and sick leave), and retirement accounts (401k and related employer-contributions) is generally in the sole discretion of the employer. This is because an employer is not obligated to provide these employee benefits or fringe benefits to any employee, whether full-time or part-time.

For example, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define full-time employment or part-time employment. And whether an employee is considered full-time or part-time does not change the application of the FLSA—or the application of the Service Contract Act (41 US.C. §351) or the Davis-Bacon Act wage and fringe benefit requirements (40 U.S.C. §3141).

In Idaho, as in other states, there is no specific legal definition for full-time employment, which means the determination of full-time status is typically left to the discretion of the employer. This discretion extends to the provision of employee benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, and retirement accounts. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define full-time or part-time employment, nor does it require employers to offer benefits to their employees. Consequently, the number of hours an employee must work to be considered full-time and eligible for benefits varies by employer. Additionally, the application of the FLSA, as well as the Service Contract Act and the Davis-Bacon Act, which pertain to wage and fringe benefit requirements for federal contractors, is not affected by an employee's full-time or part-time status. Employers in Idaho must comply with these federal laws, but they retain the flexibility to establish their own criteria for full-time employment and the associated benefits.