Hours are not guaranteed
Federal law has no scheduling rule. An employer "may change an employee's work hours without giving prior notice" unless an agreement says otherwise, and no extra pay is required for weekends or nights (U.S. DOL FLSA FAQ, read October 31, 2026). Federal law does not define part-time either, so each employer decides. Production workers in retail trade averaged 30.7 hours a week in September 2026, a preliminary figure (BLS). And 57% of cashiers and 53% of salespersons told O*NET they work under 40 (updated 2026).
Here is what stores state, from pages read October 31, 2026. Pay and hours are one store's posting, so check yours.
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Employer | What it states | Any floor? |
|---|---|---|
| Trader Joe's, Bradenton, FL | "Up to 38" hours, all days listed as desired | None stated |
| Aldi, Palmetto, FL | "Fewer than 30 hours per week" | None stated. Aldi says part-time stockers must be available "mornings and weekends" |
| Costco | "We guarantee minimum scheduled hours for full-time and part-time employees." Schedules posted "at least three weeks in advance" | Yes, but no number is stated. A Brandon, FL, posting also says "open availability is needed" |
| Target, Silver Spring, MD (On-Demand) | "You can work as much or as little as you like." You "will not be included on the posted weekly schedule" and pick up shifts by app | None. Your hours depend on what is posted |
| Target, Dallas, TX (seasonal) | Schedules "vary in hours and span all days of the week" | None stated |
| Target, Silver Spring, MD (team leader) | Even this full-time job "does not come with a guarantee of 40 hours each week" | None |
| Walmart | "2/3 of U.S. hourly store roles are full-time" (July 16, 2026). Full-timers can "sign up for set schedules" | Set schedules are described for full-timers only |
| Lowe's | Part-time and full-time store jobs "generally require evening and/or weekend availability" | None stated |
| King Soopers, Arvada, CO | Part-time cashier must "work weekends on a regular basis, work any shift and work overtime as needed" | None stated |
No number? Ask for one. A store that will not say what people average has told you something.
Where law helps. Oregon, New York City, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Philadelphia protect some store workers on notice and late changes. Each covers only certain employers. The rules and phone numbers are in part-time jobs and your rights. One point matters before you accept: Oregon, Seattle and Los Angeles make covered employers give new hires a good-faith estimate of hours, in writing in Oregon and Seattle (agency pages, read October 31, 2026). Ask for it by name.
Who gets benefits, and at what hours
From employer pages read October 31, 2026. Benefits change and can vary by state, so get the current rule in writing. This table shows medical only. Other benefits can start at different hours.
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Employer | Medical coverage | Hours rule stated |
|---|---|---|
| Trader Joe's | Yes | Average 28 or more. Dental and vision at 14 or more |
| Aldi | Full-time only | Full-time means an average of 30 or more, over an annual lookback. Part-timers get the 401(k) match |
| Kohl's | Full-time and part-time | "At least 30 hours a week" |
| Best Buy | Part-time and seasonal can qualify | Average 30 or more over 12 months, checked yearly (2027 guide) |
| Home Depot | Full-time only | Part-timers can get dental and vision, a free $120 vision plan, and 20 vacation hours after 6 months |
| Lowe's | "All regular full-time and part-time associates" | None stated |
| Costco | Full-time and part-time | None on the public page |
| Target | "Eligible team members" | Varies by "position, average hours worked, length of service." No number |
| Publix | Listed as a core benefit for all associates | None stated |
| Walmart | Depends on "job classification" | None on the pages read. Free tuition covers full-time and part-time |
| Kroger stores | Company or union plans | None in the postings read |
What this means. At Trader Joe's, an average of 27 hours misses medical and 28 reaches it. Aldi's part-time label sits below its 30-hour line, so that job as posted carries no medical. At Best Buy, one good month will not do it, because the average runs over 12 months. If medical is why you want the job, ask: "How many people in this job at this store hit the hours for medical last year?"
BLS finds only 23% of part-time workers can get medical coverage at work, against 89% of full-timers (March 2026). So these lines matter.
What availability trades away
Stores say what they want. Trader Joe's: "greatest need" for "evenings and weekends." Best Buy: "holidays, nights and weekends." No source shows how many more hours open availability earns you, so this page does not put a number on it. Give your true hours. Broad availability can bring more hours, and it also means you get scheduled there.
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| If you | Look for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Are in high school | Publix (14), Kohl's and Trader Joe's (16), with evening and weekend hours | State caps on school nights: teen work hours by state. Aldi states 18 |
| Are in college with changing classes | An on-demand job like Target's | No posted schedule, so a slow week can mean few or no shifts |
| Are a parent with fixed child care | A posted schedule far ahead. Costco states three weeks | "Open availability" lines, and closing shifts that run past pickup |
| Need medical | A job you can hold at 28 to 30 hours | A part-time label that sits under the line |
| Hold another job | Set weekend shifts | Two jobs change your tax withholding: part-time jobs near me |
| Need the same money every week | Weigh hours above the rate: retail pay by store | Budgeting on your best week |
Want holiday money only? Most seasonal jobs end in January: seasonal jobs. Hoping to stay on? Read seasonal to permanent.
What a short week pays
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Example | Hours | Gross | SS and Medicare | Federal tax | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slow week, $16.00 (Target, Dallas) | 12 | $192.00 | $14.69 | $0.00 | $177.31 |
| Same job, normal week | 20 | $320.00 | $24.48 | $1.04 | $294.48 |
| Median cashier, $15.81 | 25 | $395.25 | $30.24 | $8.56 | $356.45 |
| Median salesperson, $17.03 | 20 | $340.60 | $26.06 | $3.10 | $311.44 |
| Median salesperson, $17.03 | 30 | $510.90 | $39.08 | $20.13 | $451.69 |
| Crew at the medical line, $16.00 (Trader Joe's, Bradenton) | 28 | $448.00 | $34.27 | $13.84 | $399.89 |
| Part-time, $19.50 (Aldi, Palmetto) | 29 | $565.50 | $43.26 | $25.94 | $496.30 |
Assumptions: single filer, standard W-4, paid weekly, using IRS Publication 15-T (2026). Social Security and Medicare at 7.65% (IRS Topic 751). No state income tax, as in Texas and Florida; most states take more. Medians are BLS OEWS, May 2025. Your metro: pay benchmarks. More: your first paycheck explained.
Look at the first two rows. Same job, same rate. A drop from 20 hours to 12 costs $117.17 in take-home. Budget on your lowest recent week.
How to ask for more or steadier hours
Ask in person, then send the same words by text so you have a record.
Before you accept:
"How many hours did part-time people in this job average over the last three months? What was the lowest week? How far ahead is the schedule posted? What hours do I need to keep for medical?"
For more hours:
"I would like more hours. I can work (days and times). Please put me on the list for open shifts in (register, stock or another area I am trained on). What would help me get more regular hours?"
For steadier hours:
"I have (your own reason, such as class or child care) at (times). Can you schedule me the same shifts each week, (days and times), starting (date)? If you cannot do all of that, which part can you do?"
If your hours drop:
"My hours went from (number) to (number) a week. Is that for now, or for good? Will it affect my benefits?"
The catch: outside the protected places, the employer can say no. Seattle makes covered stores offer added hours to current workers first (OLS, read October 31, 2026), and part-time jobs near me lists the others. Keep screenshots of your schedules. Do not claim a reason that is not true, and do not offer times you cannot keep.
Next steps: retail interview questions, retail jobs with no experience and what retail work is really like.
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