Working-Life > Vacation > Educational Leave

Educational Leave

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: 06/02/2010