The basics: How much holiday am I entitled to?
Under the Federal Annual Leave Act (BUrlG), employees in Germany are entitled to a statutory minimum of 20 days’ holiday per year – based on a five-day working week. This equates to four weeks’ holiday.
But what about other working arrangements?
- 6-day week: 20 days × (6/5) = 24 days’ holiday
- 7-day week: 20 days × (7/5) = 28 days’holiday
Note: Saturdays only count if they are regular working days (e.g. in the hospitality or retail sectors).
Part-time? No problem!
Holiday entitlement is calculated on a pro rata basis:
- For 3 working days per week (5-day basis): 20 days × (3/5) = 12 days’ holiday
- For individual working hours: holiday entitlement is converted into hours (e.g. for 20 hours per week: 20 days × (20/40) = 10 days’ holiday).
People in mini-jobs are also entitled to holiday – provided they work regularly. For irregular shifts, holiday entitlement is calculated as a percentage based on the average number of hours worked per month.
Not sure how much holiday your employees are entitled to? The holiday calculator from SaaS.de works it out for you in seconds – simply enter your working model!
Part-time work & mini-jobs: Here are the key points
For part-time work with fixed weekly working days, holiday entitlement is calculated on a pro rata basis:
- Example: For 4 working days per week (based on a 5-day week) → 20 days × (4/5) = 16 days’ holiday.
If working hours vary, holiday entitlement is calculated in hours:
- Formula: (Weekly working hours / 40) × 20 days × 8 hours = holiday entitlement in hours.
- Example: For 20 hours per week → (20/40) × 20 × 8 = 80 hours’ holiday.
Different rules apply to mini-jobs.
- Regular working hours: Holiday entitlement is calculated in the same way as for part-time work (see above).
- Irregular shifts: Holiday entitlement is calculated as a percentage based on the average number of hours worked per month.
- Please note:
- People in mini-jobs are not entitled to paid holiday if they are employed on a short-term basis (max. 3 months or 50 days per year).
- In the case of regular employment, the full holiday entitlement applies.
The holiday calculator from SaaS.de calculates this for you instantly and is built directly into ‘Try SaaS.de now!’.