Germany
| Site: | Test moodle |
| Course: | Human Study Policies |
| Book: | Germany |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Saturday, 4 April 2026, 12:13 PM |
1. Common practice – statutory vacation (guaranteed by law) and additional vacation granted by employer
Employees are entitled to a minimum of 24 days off for a 6-day work week and 20 days for a 5-day one. In reality, most employees receive 25-30 days of leave, even on a 5-day workweek. Employers may provide additional leave to employees who perform intense or dangerous work. Severely disabled employees are entitled to 5 additional days of paid time off.
Employers are not obliged to grant paid time off to employees during the first six months of their employment. Employees must request vacation time in advance and have it approved by the employer. Employers can reject holiday request based on operational reasons or if other employees have already requested the same time off.
If an employee has already taken their vacation entitlement for that year while working at a previous company, they are not entitled to more days off. The previous employer must certify how many days off the employee has already taken.
Holiday pay is based on the employee's average salary for the 13 weeks leading to the leave. Often companies will offer a small vacation bonus as a perk. Employees must take their annual leave within the calendar year, and any unused leave is in general lot.
A recent Federal Labour Court decision determined that employees can only lose holiday time if the employer requested them to take it and informed them that they would lose it otherwise. Therefore, the employers should remind employees in the second half of the year as well as in the last quarter to take time off.
2. Using last year’s vacation in the next year – limitations, rights
If an employee didn't use their annual leave due to operational or personal reasons, they can carry them to the next calendar year but must take them by March 31st.
3. Planning your vacation – common practice, law
Before you go on vacation, you need permission from your employer.7 Don’t plan your trip before your employer approves your vacation! In some companies, you just ask your manager. In other companies, you request vacations on a website, and your manager approves the request. It’s different for every employer.
If you take a long vacation, tell your employer a long time in advance. If you only take a few days off, it’s less important. Some employers are more flexible than others.
Your employer can refuse to let you take vacations if…The timing causes serious problems
For example, if you take vacations during the busiest period of the year.
Another employee has priority
For example, parents need to take vacations at the same time as their children, so they have priority during school holidays.