[caw]

The way my previous employers have handled it

* Holidays are the same (don't come into work!). Depending on the company it could be either paid or unpaid, but it's generally the same for everyone.

* Vacation is accrued based on the hours you work. Exempt employees generally have N days, and non-exempt would accrue N days if they worked 40 hours a week. Most of the time you have to work at least a year to get the days.

* Free meals are the same. Whoever is there gets the free food. If your part timers aren't there for the free lunch, oh well. Note - if you have contractors, I think giving them free food could potentially cross the line into them being an employee. My previous employer was always very careful never to give contractors freebies, not even free soda.

[Jeremy1026]

How could/does freebies to contractors make them employees? I ask because I am currently a contractor where I work, but get access to the soda/beer fridge, same as all the employees.

[caw]

Suppose you're a contractor who works full time at a particular company. This company is your only place of employment, and your contract doesn't have a defined term length (e.g. you're on till we don't need you anymore). Then you get all the miscellaneous perks of being a full time employee, but the company doesn't pay your holidays, time off, or health benefits. At that point, you start to look like an employee to the government.

This is why Microsoft and Google have defined contractor terms, and you can't come back for a period of time afterwards, etc.

[Jeremy1026]

Then I may not fall under that category, as I am a contractor in the sense that my "employer" is a staffing agency, and I am working for their client for 6 months before converting to an employee of the client. So, while I am a contractor for ClientX I am legally and employee of StaffingY