The leader of Kent County Council claims part-time staff prioritise family and are “not focused on their jobs”.

Cllr Paul Carter made the allegation after a council report found full-time employees at KCC received higher appraisal ratings than their part-time counterparts.

The annual staff performance report detailed how 28% of part-time staff exceeded expectations compared to 42% of staff that work all week.

This meant the full-time staff were more likely to receive a 5% bonus for their hard work last year.

However, the council only awarded this to 6% of staff.

Speaking at the personnel committee meeting on Tuesday, Cllr Carter said: “There may be a reason why part-time workers are not getting the average like the full-time staff.

“Their priorities are different from their jobs because their primary role is to make sure that their family is right and appropriate.

“This is the same for some men with paternity leave when they are sharing all those roles and responsibilities in the modern world and way.

“This wasn’t the same for my generation when I was brought up.”

The father of three added: “I’m sure [parents] are amazingly efficient with their time with having to drop your child off at childcare then get back for a certain time.

“Then they [childcare facilities] ring up and say that your child is not terribly well and they are a bit concerned about it.

“Their priorities are different from their jobs because their primary role is to make sure that their family is right and appropriate..." - Cllr Paul Carter

“You are bound to get a diversion away from work, it’s human nature.”

Cllr Carter added the integrity of the appraisal is “a credit to the organisation and the managers that are doing it”.

Mother of two Dr Lauren Sullivan, who works part-time in a laboratory researching malaria, came to the defence of parents who juggle family and work.

“The fact that you have to juggle all those little things means you become incredibly efficient," said Dr Sullivan, a fellow at the Crick Institute.

“I would argue that I could get as much done working a few days a week than some who work full-time.

“So actually I think we are being incredible cost-effective by getting more part-time staff in.

“The fact that they are parents as well, does that mean that as soon as you get young kids you are out of it and you’re seen as not an effective member of the team?

“All this is saying is that there’s no chance that this parent could ever achieve or do anything extra because they have children.”

However, from next year there will be changes to the reviews which could make the amount of hours which staff work “irrelevant” .

The cabinet member responsible for employment, Cllr Eric Hotson, said: “The assessment is soon going to be different and more hands on and rigorous.

“So when we take up the new system, part time, to some degree, will become irrelevant.

“Whether you work four hours a day or six hours a day or whatever, you will get a regular conversation with your manager.”