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WORKING IN GERMANY

When are Germany’s state and national public holidays in 2023?

The year 2023 is looking up for days off of work, with the vast majority of 'Feiertage' falling during the week. We break down what they are and when they take place.

Published: 21 December 2022 17:17 CET
Beach holiday
People enjoy a day out at the beach. July is a traditional vacation month. Photo: Pixabay

Let’s face it: 2022 was a pretty shabby year for public holidays. Many employees might have felt a little short-changed by holidays which fell on a weekend – including Christmas Day this Sunday. Unlike in the US or UK, these Feiertage simply fall by the wayside unless employers privately decide otherwise.

But they’re in luck in 2023: with the exception of New Year’s Day itself, which occurs on a Sunday, most state and national public holidays fall during the week, meaning employees can enjoy more time off without having to dip into their sacred supply of Urlaubstage (vacation days).

READ ALSO: Vacation days in Germany: What you need to know about your rights as an employee

For holidays which fall on a Tuesday or Thursday, employees can also follow along with the popular practice of taking Brückentage, or a Monday or Friday off, in order to enjoy a lengthy four-day weekend.

We lay out all of the public holidays for the coming year, and where they’re honoured. For those planning a year in advance, a la German style, January 1st, 2024 also falls on a Monday.

​​New Year’s Day (national): Sunday, January 1st

Three Kings Day (Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Saxony-Anhalt): Friday, January 6th

READ ALSO: Three Kings’ Day: What you should know about Germany’s public holiday in three states

International Women’s Day (Berlin): Wednesday, March 8th

Easter Friday (national): April 7th

Easter Monday (national): April 10th

Labour Day (national): Monday, May 1st

Ascension Day/Christi Himmelfahrt (national): Thursday, May 18th

Whit Monday (national): Monday, May 29th

Corpus Christi/Fronleichnam (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony and Thuringia): June 8th

READ ALSO: Fronleichnam: What you should know about Germany’s regional public holiday

Assumption Day/Mariä Himmelfahrt (Bavaria and Saarland): Tuesday, August 15th 

World Children’s Day/Weltkindertag (Thuringia): Wednesday, November 20th

Day of German Unity (national): Tuesday, October 3rd

Reformation Day (Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia): Tuesday, October 31st 

All Saints Day (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland): Wednesday, November 1st

Buß- und Bettag (Saxony): Wednesday, November 22nd

READ ALSO: Saxon public holiday: What’s the history behind Buß- und Bettag?

Christmas Day (national): Monday, December 25th

Second Day of Christmas (national): Tuesday, December 26th

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Why part-time workers are less happy than full-timers in Germany

Part-time can be more stressful than a full-time job in Germany, a new study has found.

Published: 8 March 2023 08:58 CET
Why part-time workers are less happy than full-timers in Germany

With flexible working hours and more time for hobbies and life admin, part-time work often sounds like a very desirable option for employees. But a recent study by the regional jobs portal meinestadt.de has shown that part-time workers in Germany are more dissatisfied with many aspects of their working life than full-time workers in Germany – and more stressed.

The study, which was made exclusively available to Spiegel, found that one-fifth of part-time workers rated their own state of health as “less good” or “poor” – around five percent more than among full-time employees. Only 44.6 percent of part-time workers rated their own state of health as “very good” or “good” – compared to 54 percent for full-timers. 

A lot of part-time workers also reported feeling disadvantaged when it comes to further training: while just under 56 percent of full-time employees said they regularly receive company training, only 44 percent of part-time employees reported the same. 

Just under one-third of part-time workers said they felt “quite stressed” by their work situation, and just under seven percent said they felt “very stressed”. The biggest factor was psychological stress, which affected more than half; while around 40 percent complained about deadline pressure and lack of time, and around a third about overtime and extra work.

READ ALSO: Why a record high number of employees went on sick leave in Germany in 2022

According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the part-time rate of mothers is almost ten times higher than that of fathers in Germany and mothers of younger children in Germany work part-time twice as often as the EU average.

Through Germany’s ‘Elternzeit’ (parental leave) system, it is common for mothers to work part-time until their child turns three, with many staying on a reduced work schedule.

The part-time rate for women, in general, is 47.5 percent, while the figure for men is only 10.7 percent. It seems reasonable to assume, therefore, that it is mainly women in Germany who are most affected by the stress of part-time work.

A study by the market research institute Bilendi in September 2022 also uncovered dissatisfaction amongst part-time workers in Germany. The survey of a total of 3,000 full-time and part-time professionals aged 18 to 65 found that two-thirds of part-time workers said they were feeling the effects of the skilled worker shortage, while more than a quarter were working overtime because of absent colleagues. Just under a third said work had become more compressed compared to pre-Covid times.

Lots of part-time workers in Germany

According to a survey conducted by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) in December 2022, Germany has the fourth highest part-time employment rate in Europe, at around 28 percent of total employment – behind the Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria. 

Last year, the number of part-time employees in Germany rose by two percent, compared to a 1.3 percent rise in full-time employees. This was also due to growth in industries with a high proportion of part-time workers, such as the hospitality industry and education.

READ ALSO: Foreign workers filled over two-thirds of new jobs in Germany in 2022

Part-time jobs also rose to a record level as, for the first time, more than ten percent of employees were logging 32 hours of work a week or less.

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