Are you allowed to work in a Minijob while on sick leave from your main job?

In most cases, you are not allowed to work in a Minijob or any other job while you are on sick leave from your main employment, except in very rare and narrowly defined exceptional situations.

Legal details and risks:

Purpose of sick leave:
The law grants you sick leave so that you can recover and regain your ability to perform your main job.

Any other professional activity during this period – including a Minijob – may be considered as contradicting the purpose of sick leave and exposes you to significant legal risks.

Possible consequences:

If your main employer or your health insurance fund finds out that you are working in a Minijob while on sick leave, the following may happen:

• Your continued salary payment or sickness benefit (Krankengeld) can be stopped.

• You may receive a formal warning (Abmahnung) or even be dismissed with immediate effect due to loss of trust (Vertrauensbruch).

• In severe cases, you may be sued to repay wages or benefits that have already been paid.

Rare exception:

Working during sick leave is only permissible if your doctor confirms that your health condition prevents you only from doing your main job, but not from performing another, simpler activity.
Example: psychological illness caused by the work environment in your main job, but you are still able to carry out a light, low-stress job elsewhere.

In such a case, you should:

• obtain written confirmation from your doctor, and

• preferably inform both your main employer and your health insurance fund.

Minijob during sick leave:

Even if you have medical approval in principle, you should not start working in a Minijob during sick leave before:

• everything has been documented clearly in writing by your doctor, and

• ideally, your health insurance (and, if appropriate, your employer) has been informed.

Otherwise, you risk losing your entitlements or violating legal obligations.

Conclusion:

• As a general rule, you are not allowed to work in a Minijob while you are on sick leave from your main job.

• If you believe you have a special case, you must consult your doctor and obtain written approval before taking any step.

• Any additional professional activity during sick leave without approval may lead to loss of pay or sickness benefit, a warning, or even dismissal.

Important advice:
Always consult your doctor, and inform your employer or health insurance fund if there is an exceptional situation, so that you remain legally on the safe side.

Our team of writers and editors strives to provide accurate information based on intensive research and multiple sources. However, errors may occur or some information may be incomplete or not definitively confirmed. Therefore, please regard the information in our articles as an initial point of reference only, and always contact the competent authorities or professional bodies to obtain binding and official information.