Navigating Paid Time Off (PTO) policies in Germany can be complex due to the country's robust labor laws designed to protect employees. Understanding these regulations is crucial for employers to ensure legal compliance and foster a healthy, productive workplace. Find everything you need to know about PTO in Germany, from statutory requirements to best practices for managing leave.
Take a look at the legal requirements for PTO in Germany.
Employees are entitled to a minimum of 24 days of paid vacation per year if they work a six-day week. For those working a standard five-day week, the minimum is 20 days. However, it’s common for companies to offer more generous PTO policies, with many providing 25–30 days per year.
German employees are entitled to up to six weeks of paid sick leave at 100% of their salary, covered by the employer. If the illness extends beyond six weeks, statutory health insurance (Krankenkasse) covers a percentage of the employee’s salary for a longer period, often up to 78 weeks.
Germany has between 9 and 13 public holidays per year, depending on the state (Bundesland).
These holidays are separate from annual vacation days, and employees are entitled to these days off without affecting their PTO balance.
In Germany, PTO generally must be used within the calendar year. However, if an employee is unable to take their leave due to business needs or personal reasons, they may carry over unused vacation days to the first three months of the following year, with March 31 being the deadline.
Take note of these recommendations for hassle-free PTO management.
Learn more about how we can help you optimize your PTO policies and ensure compliance with German labor laws.
Say goodbye to messy email chains and manual tracking. With a streamlined PTO management system, you can keep all requests and records in one place, making it easy to approve time off and manage employee schedules efficiently.
Every company has unique needs, and your PTO policies should reflect that. Customize your time-off rules to match your team’s structure, ensuring fairness and clarity while maintaining flexibility.
Give your employees the confidence to plan their time off without uncertainty. By providing real-time access to balances and request statuses, you create a more transparent and trusting workplace.
Sync TrackingTime with the tools your team uses every day to fit their work habits. This way, they can keep track of every minute without switching between apps.
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