The summer holidays also started in the last federal state this week. For some students in particular, this is the time for holiday jobs. These are only carried out for a certain period of time and are therefore short-term jobs. Short-term employment occurs if it is limited to a maximum of three months or 70 working days within a year. These legal requirements apply to holiday jobbers:
How much minimum wage do holiday jobbers receive – and when does compulsory insurance apply?
In principle, marginally employed people receive the minimum wage. It is currently 13.90 euros and from January 1, 2027 it will be 14.60 euros. The monthly maximum limit is also 603 euros per month. From January 1, 2027, this marginal income limit will rise to 633 euros per month. There is no minimum wage for those below the age limit of 18 if they have not yet completed any training.
Because of their short-term nature, school students’ holiday employment usually falls under the low income regulations and is therefore exempt from health, nursing care, unemployment and pension insurance up to a monthly salary of 538 euros. If schooling has already ended at the time of the holiday job, it must be examined what will follow, for example training or a federal voluntary service. This affects the insurance law assessment.
If the holiday jobber works for more than three months within a year, the employer must register him or her as a low-paid employee (person group 109) and social security contributions will apply.
What working hours apply to children and young people in holiday jobs?
As with wages, the permitted working hours for holiday jobbers depend on age:
- Children aged 13 and over: With the consent of their legal guardian, they may engage in light, suitable employment for a maximum of two hours a day – in family farms no more than three. Permitted and impermissible employment can be found in the Child Labor Protection Ordinance. In addition, according to the Youth Labor Protection Act, they may not be employed between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., not before school lessons and not during school lessons.
- Young people aged 15 and over: You may be employed during school holidays for a maximum of four weeks in a calendar year. The four weeks can be divided into several sections. In addition, according to the Youth Labor Protection Act: You may be employed for a maximum of eight hours a day and no more than five days and 40 hours a week. You may not be employed between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. or on weekends and public holidays.
- Students aged 18 and over: If the student is of legal age, the general regulations apply to working hours, in particular those of the Working Hours Act. In contrast to young people under the age of 18, there is no legal limit of four weeks for holiday work for adult students. However, compulsory school attendance must be observed here.
What applies to a holiday job employment contract for minors?
If the holiday jobber is not yet of legal age, he or she may only conclude an employment contract with the consent of the legal representative, usually the parents. Otherwise, the labor law rules apply as for other employees. Since a holiday job is always temporary, the employment contract does not have to be terminated.
Are holiday jobbers entitled to vacation?
According to the Federal Holiday Act, employment relationships that last at least a full month are entitled to vacation. You are then entitled to one twelfth of the statutory annual vacation per month. If you’re employed for a month, that means two days of vacation. Young people are legally entitled to more vacation days and this depends on the age of the vacation worker.
| Not at the start of the calendar year | 16 years old | 17 years old | 18 years old |
|---|---|---|---|
| The annual vacation is | 30 working days or 25 working days | 27 working days or 23 working days | 25 working days or 21 working days |
What activities are prohibited for young people under 18?
To protect young people, there are activities that people under the age of 18 are not allowed to undertake. According to the Youth Labor Protection Act, this includes, among other things, work that exceeds their physical or mental performance or those in which they are exposed to the harmful effects of noise, vibrations or radiation. Piecework or working underground are also generally taboo.
However, the following are suitable: delivering newspapers or the like without heavy carrying, running errands, looking after children and pets, tutoring, household and garden activities, shopping, car cleaning (not in the blazing sun), restocking shelves without heavy lifting, simple telephone services.
When is there a right to continued payment of wages in a holiday job?
In principle, a holiday worker is also entitled to continued payment of wages if he or she cannot work due to illness. However, this entitlement only arises if the employment relationship has existed for at least four weeks. So it is only suitable for students aged 18 and over.
(This post was originally published on July 30, 2024 and updated on July 10, 2026.)
As head of the online service, Gesine Wagner oversees the digital channels of human resources management and, as an editor, is primarily responsible for the topics of labor law, politics and regulation. She continues to be the contact person for everything that has to do with HR start-ups. She is also responsible for the CHRO Panel.
