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HOLIDAYS

Here’s how to make the most of the public holidays in 2018

With summer drawing to a close most of us are back in the office and feeling a bit gloomy. But help is at hand - we tell you everything you need to know to make the most of your vacation time next year.

Published: 7 September 2017 12:48 CEST
Here’s how to make the most of the public holidays in 2018
Photo: DPA

Germany gives you a fairly generous dose of public holidays, especially if you live in the Catholic south. But, annoyingly, they aren’t replaced if they fall on the weekend. That means that it pays to book your days off around the public holidays that fall on work days. Here’s how.

January

We all remember the festive season last year when Christmas and New Year fell on the weekend. It really wasn't such a happy time of year at all. Well good tidings are on the way.

Christmas and Boxing Day fall on a Monday and a Tuesday at the end of this year, meaning a bumper four days of holiday without you having to sacrifice a single vacation day.

And the merriment continues into the new year, with January 1st falling on a Monday. So anyone who has a multi-day hangover could choose to use up four vacation days here and keep the party going until January 7th. That would be a nine day break at the cost of only four vacation days.

For the people of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg the year doesn't start quite as perfectly as it could, though. Three Kings Day, which is celebrated in the two southern states every January 6th, falls on a Saturday.

March/April

February is a cold and unforgiving time indeed, there are no public holidays in that (mercifully) short month.

So we have to wait patiently for the end of March, which brings with it Good Friday (March 30th), the first day of Easter. Wise heads among us will certainly consider asking the boss for a couple of days off before or after the Easter weekend (although flights and hotels are often prohibitively expensive.)

May

Public holidays, you are indeed as welcome as the flowers of May.

Labour Day (May 1st) falls on a Tuesday next year, while Ascension Day is on a Thursday (May 10th). Germans like to call the piece of luck when a public holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday a Brückentag (bridge day) – meaning they can book their vacation on a Monday or Friday and get a four day break.

Indeed many of us will have an unlikely three Brückentage in May. If you work in Baden-Württmberg, Bavaria, Hessen, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Rhineland-Palatinate or Saarland you will also get the day off on Thursday May 31st for Fronleichnam.

SEE ALSO: Why Germany comes alive with religious bombast on Fronleichnam

Not only that, we all get a long weekend in the middle of the month with Pentecost Monday falling on May 21st.

So for those who like mini breaks, it really doesn’t get much better than May 2018.

August-November

The Christian calendar front-loads most public holidays in the early months of the year, so things always look distinctly more gloomy from July onward. But even the few holidays we do get are poorly placed in the second half of 2018.

Catholic parts of Bavaria and Saarland get August 15th off for Mariä Himmelfahrt, but it falls on a Wednesday, meaning no Brückentag possibilities there.

READ ALSO: Why Bavarians are busy hanging out bouquets on Mariä Himmelfahrt

Reunification day (October 1st) will also fall on a Wednesday, as does Reformation Day (October 31st), which is celebrated in the five states of former East Germany. And similar to countries like the US and Canada, Halloween (October 31st) unfortunately isn't a public holiday in Germany.

Catholics have something to cheer about in November with All Saints’ Day (November 1st) falling on a Thursday. In Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, NRW, Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate that is a public holiday.

December

The end of the year brings cheer back to the whole country, with the two Christmas holidays landing on a Tuesday and a Wednesday – so a Brückentag on Christmas Eve will give you a five day break.

For members

WORKING IN GERMANY

Five things to know about salaries in Germany

Finding a job is typically a top priority when planning a move to Germany. The country boasts the third largest economy in the world and a continuing need for skilled professionals. 

Published: 2 May 2024 12:26 CEST
Five things to know about salaries in Germany

If you are moving to Germany, you might soon start looking for a job in the country. However, like many other aspects of living abroad, there are several cultural differences and specificities when it comes to job hunting in Germany – especially when it comes to salaries.

Here are five things to know about salaries in Germany.

There is a minimum wage in Germany

Germany’s minimum wage of €12.41 per hour, pre-tax came into effect at the start of this year. This amounts to a monthly salary of €2,054 which ranks ninth in the world. The minimum wage will rise again in 2025 to €12.82 per hour before tax deductions.

There have been calls recently to hike the salary up higher to €14 per hour.

READ ALSO: Millions of workers in Germany ‘earning less than €14 per hour’

Find out salary expectations

Germany does not require companies to list salary ranges for listed positions. But that may be changing soon. The EU parliament passed a wage transparency law to require companies to publish annual reports detailing wage and wage discrepancy information. The rules, which are set to go into effect in 2027, are intended to help close the gender pay gap. 

In the meantime, employees can utilise online resources to find industry averages and expectations for different roles:

  • Gehalt.de offers users access to salary information on more than 800 professions
  • Online platform, Kununu provides compensation information and employer reviews to users in the DACH region  
  • Berlin residents can utilise REDSOFA’s salary survey for an overview of salary averages in the country’s capital city

As of April 2023 the average gross monthly salary was €4,323 according to Germany’s Federal Statistical Office.

Two-thirds of full time workers make less than this average monthly salary and one-third of workers earn more than this average monthly salary.

While wages after deductions may be less than similar roles in other countries, it is also important to take into consideration what other benefits come with a salary. Paid holiday leave, pension contributions, long notice periods and annual bonuses can help make up some of that difference. 

READ ALSO: How much do employees in Germany typically earn?

Check your payment schedule

Internationals can usually expect their salary once a month when working in Germany. Many German companies choose to pay employees either on the 1st or 15th of the month. It is also important to note that most employees can expect to receive their first pay check within 30 or 45 days of starting. 

For positions that offer yearly bonuses, these payments are included in a 13th pay check which are subject to income tax.  

A person works on a laptop.

A person works on a laptop. Image by Bartek Zakrzewski from Pixabay

How many hours do you work?

When looking for a job, don’t forget to check how many hours you can expect. Job descriptions will include expectations for time commitments. 

Mini-jobs, as expected from the name, are limited in hours and pay. Employees can expect up to €538 per month. Mini-jobs do not provide social security because they do not require social security contributions. Employees are also not automatically covered by health and nursing care insurance. 

Teilzeit, or part time jobs, are defined as any job where working hours are less than a full time position.

A common misconception is that part-time work requires working 20 hours or less a week. But an employee working five days a week for 30 hours, at a position that is typically 40 hours when full time can also be defined as a part time worker. 

READ ALSO: The rules in Germany around ‘mini’ and ‘midi jobs’

In fact, Germany has a term for workers who work between 28 and 36 hours a week. Vollzeitnahe Teilzeit, or nearly full time part time workers, can be a popular choice for some people, including parents. These positions can give employees more flexibility to balance work and family responsibilities. It is important to note that these workers are paid according to their time worked, so it will still amount to less than full time.

Depending on the work schedule, part time employees can earn the same amount of vacation as their full-time counterparts. That’s because holiday leave is calculated based on days worked, not hours. If a part time worker comes in five days a week, they will be eligible for at least 20 days of holiday. If that same part time worker comes in three days a week, they will be legally entitled to twelve days of vacation, even if they worked the same hours as the other employee. 

In most companies, weekly working hours between 35 and 40 hours are considered full-time employment or Vollzeitbeschäftigung. 

Watch out for the gross v. net difference

Before you sign the dotted line, it will be important to check how much of your gross salary you’ll be able to keep come pay day. Companies that include salary expectations in descriptions include gross salary (Bruttoeinkommen) – not the net income after taxes and deductions (Nettoeinkommen). The amount deducted will depend on how much you earn, the tax class you’re in and on other factors such as how much you’re paying for healthcare but it is usually around 40 percent. 

Salaried employees can find information on the deductions on their pay slip. Some to expect to see include:

  • Taxes are deducted directly from the gross pay. The amount is based on the tax bracket your salary falls within 
  • A percentage of your gross salary is also deducted for your pension / retirement contributions
  • Church taxes between eight and nine percent of your salary will also be due if you are affiliated with a religion
  • Unemployment insurance amounts to a 2.5 percent deduction from your gross salary. It is important to note that the insurance covers a salary up to €90,600 
  • Health insurance contribution rates are typically split between employers and employees. The rate depends on the provider. In 2024, the TK contribution rate to health insurance is 15.8 percent of the gross income

READ ALSO: What you need to know about your payslip in Germany 

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