Working-Life > Vacation > Educational Leave

Educational Leave

Definition, Explanation

Tips, Checklist

Definition, Explanation

Each of the federal states of Germany has its own laws regulating entitlement to educational leaves. Normally, the employed is granted 5 days of paid educational leave a year that can be used for profession-related and political self-improvement, in addition to the normal vacation. The federal states without regulations and without legal entitlement are Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen and Thüringen. In these, only vacation and unpaid vacation can be taken instead.

Tips, Checklist

• First, inform yourself about the regulations specific to your federal state
• Figure out in how far the educational measures you intend to take are acknowledged as such. Optimally, get yourself a copy of the corresponding written acknowledgement (Anerkennungsbescheid) from the institution of education
• Write to your employer an application for educational leave, at least 6 weeks before beginning of the educational measure, and hand in the required documents – depending on the state-specific law
• Talk with your employer about the best date to start an educational leave. A general refuse is not legal, only the date can be refused for organizational reasons
• Two years' summed up time of educational leave can be taken as a 2-weeks educational leave (see also paid leave of absence
• Write off the costs for educational measures against tax

Last update: 12/16/2009