2.5.1c Part-time, full-time, flexible, permanent, temporary and freelance working Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Business, Unit 10

The 20 questions

1. What is part-time working?

   • Working only during the school holidays for a single fixed period in each year
   • Working from home for all of the year with no set hours or regular pattern at all
   • Working fewer hours than a full-time employee, often on a regular set pattern
   • Working the same hours as full-time staff but on a temporary contract with the business

2. What is full-time working?

   • Working only when a customer makes a specific request for a service from the firm
   • Working through an agency and being paid separately for each individual task done
   • Working on a short contract that ends when the particular project has been finished
   • Working the standard number of hours for a job, usually on a permanent basis

3. What is a flexible working pattern?

   • A contract that is fixed for life and cannot be changed by either party to the agreement
   • Hours or places of work that can change to suit the needs of the business and the worker
   • A rule that all staff must be present in the office during every hour the business is open
   • A fixed set of hours that must be worked every day without any change to the rota at all

4. What is a permanent contract?

   • An ongoing employment contract with no fixed end date
   • A contract in which the worker is paid per job rather than per hour
   • A contract that lasts only for a set period, such as six months
   • A contract for a specific task that ends when the task is completed

5. What is a temporary contract?

   • A contract that continues indefinitely until the worker retires from the business
   • A contract that lasts for a fixed period or until a specific task is finished
   • A contract that is agreed verbally and never recorded in writing
   • A contract that allows the worker to set their own hours and fees

6. What is freelance working?

   • Temporary work through an agency for a fixed period of several months
   • Self-employed work for a number of clients, paid per job or project
   • Full-time employment with one employer on a permanent contract
   • Working in the business's office with a fixed salary every month

7. A business needs extra staff for three months each winter. Which type of contract is most suitable?

   • Full-time permanent contract
   • Permanent contract
   • Lifetime salaried contract
   • Temporary contract

8. Which is an advantage to a business of using freelance workers?

   • It must provide training and a pension scheme for every freelancer it hires
   • It can hire specialist skills for a project without a long-term commitment
   • It has complete control over the hours each freelancer works each week
   • It must pay holiday pay and sick pay to every freelance worker

9. Which is a disadvantage to a worker of a temporary contract?

   • No right to a pay rise during the length of the contract
   • A guaranteed promotion at the end of the contract period
   • A requirement to work the same hours every single week of the year
   • Less job security and no guarantee of work after the contract ends

10. Which is an advantage of flexible working for employees?

    • It can help them balance work with childcare or study commitments
    • It removes all need for the worker to communicate with the employer
    • It guarantees the worker a higher salary than full-time staff in every case
    • It means the worker never has to take a holiday during the year

11. How does technology affect ways of working?

    • It allows remote working and can improve efficiency for staff who work from home
    • It stops businesses from offering part-time contracts to any of their workers
    • It means that all staff must work from the head office every day of the week
    • It prevents staff from communicating with managers or colleagues at any time

12. A part-time worker is contracted for 20 hours a week. A full-time worker works 40 hours. What fraction of full-time hours does the part-time worker work?

    • One fifth
    • One quarter
    • Two fifths
    • One half

13. Which is a disadvantage to a business of relying on part-time staff?

    • Coverage may be harder to arrange when several staff are unavailable at once
    • Part-time staff are never able to work during the busiest times of the day
    • Part-time staff always cost more per hour than full-time staff do
    • Part-time staff cannot use any of the business's technology in their work

14. A business uses remote working. Which is a potential disadvantage?

    • Staff always complete more work than they would have done at the office each week
    • Communication and supervision can become harder without everyone in one place
    • Staff never need to use any technology for their work at any point in the working week
    • Businesses no longer need to pay for any office space or equipment for their staff at all

15. Which working pattern is most likely to suit a parent who needs to collect children from school each afternoon?

    • A freelance contract with no set hours and no planned work
    • Flexible hours that finish before the school day ends
    • A temporary contract that requires night shifts every week
    • A permanent full-time contract with fixed hours that run until late evening

16. Which of these is the best description of a zero-hours contract?

    • The worker is paid only for the hours that they spend on training courses set by the firm
    • The worker is guaranteed a fixed number of hours each week for the whole length of a year
    • The worker is paid a salary and has no obligation to attend work for the business at all
    • The worker is not guaranteed any hours but is available when work is offered

17. A business moves from full-time to part-time contracts for a group of staff. Which benefit might it gain?

    • A removal of all staff training costs from the business's accounts
    • A guaranteed increase in the business's total profit in every year
    • A guaranteed rise in the productivity of every member of staff
    • More flexibility to match staffing to busy periods

18. A freelance designer charges £35 an hour and works 18 hours on a project. What is the total fee?

    • £530
    • £18
    • £630
    • £525

19. Why might a business prefer permanent staff to freelancers for core roles?

    • Permanent staff are always cheaper than freelancers in every case and in every industry
    • Permanent staff build knowledge of the business and give greater continuity
    • Freelancers are not allowed to work for the business on any project at any time at all
    • Permanent staff never need to be paid for any of the hours that they work for the firm

20. Explain why a business might use a mix of permanent, part-time and temporary workers.

    • It guarantees that the business will never have to pay wages to any staff
    • It means that every employee is paid the same amount regardless of their role
    • It can match staffing levels to demand while keeping core skills in the business
    • It removes the need for any staff planning or scheduling in the business

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