ABSTRACT
In 1985 during a one-year exchange as a teacher of English to Japanese primary school children, I was surprised to discover that the company classified a female friend and colleague as a part-time employee. I was surprised my friend was classified as part-time because she team-taught the same classes, used the same curriculum and worked the same number of hours-at times, even longer-as other teachers; both Japanese and 'foreign'. Despite her qualifications and ability to speak English fluently, her 'part-time' status meant there was a considerable disparity between her employment conditions and those of both Japanese and 'foreign' full-time employees. As a student my experiences of part-time work in Australia had been positive. I sought part-time work because the flexibility of shifts and varied hours allowed me to combine work with a range of other activities. My friend did not choose to be employed as a part-time worker. For her, amongst other benefits, full-time employment would have enabled her to live independently and move into an apartment closer to work, reducing the three-hour commute from her parent's house each day.
