Facts & stats
Germany (German: Deutschland), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland), is a country in Central and Western Europe. Germany is a great power with a strong economy; it has the largest economy in Europe, the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP, and the fifth-largest by PPP. As a global leader in several industrial and technological sectors, it is both the world's third-largest exporter and importer of goods.
Grow your team in Germany with Remote
Employing in Germany requires employers to own a legal entity in the country and manage payroll, tax, benefits and compliance through their own in-country resources. The complexity of employment regulations in Germany makes full compliance with employment laws a burdensome process.
Through Remote’s Global Employer of Record solution, your team is employed by our local legal entities in each country, and we take care of payroll, tax, benefits and compliance so you can focus on what matters most -- your people.
Risks of misclassification
Germany, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time workers differently and there are risks associated with misclassification.
Employing in Germany
Employment law in Germany is not contained under a single law. Instead it is governed by statutory regulations codified in (among other laws) the German Civil Code, then furthermore governed by various federal acts such as the Part-time and Fixed-term Work Act, Employee Leasing Act, Holidays Act, Act on Maternity Protection and the Dismissal Protection Act. Furthermore, collective labour law through codetermination, trade unions and collective bargaining plays a role.
German employment law provides strong labor conditions and protections for employees, so employing people will generally be an important investment and commitment.
Temporary agencies are popular options for more flexible workforce arrangements. For these and many other reasons, the following are only guidelines in the broadest sense, and professional legal services are recommended when employing in Germany.
Public holidays
| Date | Holiday Name | Extra information |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | ||
| Epiphany | Only observed in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt | |
| Women's Day | Only observed in Berlin | |
| Good Friday | ||
| Easter Monday | ||
| Ascension Day | ||
| Whit Monday | ||
| German Unity Day | ||
| Christmas Day | ||
| Boxing Day |
- Minimum
Wage -
The minimum hourly wage stipulate by law for 2020 is €9.35. A higher minimum is often set by collective bargaining agreements, which are enforceable by law.
- Payroll
Cycle - For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly instalments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.
- Onboarding
Time -
We can help you get a new employee started in Germany fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 48 hours.
Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.
For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.
Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.
Competitive benefits package in Germany
Besides providing your employees with all statutory benefits in Germany, Remote can advise on and arrange for custom benefits and perks for your employees upon request.
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Private health insurance
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Private dental insurance
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Private vision insurance
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Additional paid holidays
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Flexible schedule
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Pension scheme
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Life insurance
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Other insurance
Taxes in Germany
Learn how employment taxes affect your payroll and your employees’ paychecks in Germany.
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Employer
- 9.30% - Pension
- 7.30% - Health Insurance
- 1.525% - Nursing Care Insurance
- 1.25% - Unemployment Insurance
- 1.18% - Accident Insurance
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Employee
- 9.30% - Pension
- 7.30% - Health Insurance
- 1.525% - Nursing Care Insurance
- 1.25% - Unemployment Insurance
- 0.00% - Up to 9,000
- 14.00% - 9,000 - 55,961
- 42.00% - 55,961 - 265,327
- 45.00% - Over 265,327
Types of leave
- Statutory
leave All full-time workers are legally entitled to 20 days paid holiday leave a year. In addition, full-time workers have 10 paid public holidays a year. The minimum amount of annual leave is 24 working days.
- Pregnancy and
maternity leave -
Expecting mothers are entitled to 6 weeks of pregnancy leave (before the due date) and at least 8 weeks maternity leave (after childbirth).
- Parental
leave In addition to maternity leave, the parents can take extended parental leave for up to 36 months until the child turn 3 years. Parents can choose to work part-time or up to 30 hours per week during parental leave.
- Other
leave -
- Adoption: the same rules as for maternity leave applies for adoptions.
Employment
termination
Termination process
Germany employers in general can provide any fair reasons for termination of an employee. Any dismissal from the end of the employer for an employee that has been employed longer than six months has to be "socially justified" by the following:
- Person-related reasons, such as long-term illness;
- Termination with consent of the employee through a termination agreement;
- Conduct-related reasons, for example repeated breaches of employment terms after prior warning or serious misconduct; or
- Operational reasons, for example the shutdown of the company or economic downturns.
Notice period
The statutory notice period for an employer depends on the duration of employment, with a minimum of four weeks for those employed less than 9 months and up to 7 months for those employed more than 20 years.
Probation periods
The maximum length of a probationary period is 6 months.
