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People with a recognised severe disability are entitled to additional paid leave in Germany. But who is eligible for this additional leave, how many days are employees entitled to, and what conditions must be met? In this article, you will find out everything you need to know about additional leave for people with severe disabilities.
First things first
Who is entitled to additional holiday leave?
- A degree of disability (GdB) of at least 50, evidenced by a severely disabled person’s pass or a corresponding assessment notice, must be provided.
- The employer must be aware of the recognised severe disability in order to grant additional leave
- No entitlement in cases of equal treatment (employees with a GdB of 30 or 40)
Important!
If the severe disability is only recognised during the calendar year, there is generally a pro-rata entitlement to the additional leave.
For each full month during which a severe disability is recognised, one twelfth of the annual additional leave is accrued.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many extra days’ holiday are there?
For a standard five-day working week, the additional holiday entitlement is five working days per calendar year.
| Working days per week | Additional annual leave |
|---|---|
| 3 days | 3 days |
| 4 days | 4 days |
| 5 days | 5 days |
| 6 days | 6 days |
Does the additional leave also apply to part-time staff?
Yes. It is not the number of working hours that counts, but the number of working days per week.
For example, someone who works four hours a day, five days a week, is entitled to the same additional holiday entitlement as a full-time employee working a five-day week.
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Please note that additional leave also expires!
In principle, the same rules apply to additional leave as to statutory annual leave.
Employers are obliged to inform their employees in good time of their existing holiday entitlements and any expiry dates.
If this notification is not provided in the correct manner, the holiday entitlement may not lapse.
Sources:
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Section 208 of Social Code Book IX (SGB IX) – Additional leave for people with severe disabilities
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Section 151 of the Social Code Book IX (SGB IX) – Definition of severe disability
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Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS): Information on the participation of people with disabilities
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Case law of the Federal Labour Court (BAG) on the forfeiture of holiday entitlements and the employer’s duty to provide information