Working During Annual Leave (Urlaub) and Public Holidays (Feiertage) in Germany (2025)
Right to paid leave
Every full-time employee (Vollzeit) is entitled to 20 days of paid annual leave per year when working 5 days per week, or 24 days when working 6 days per week (§ 3 para. 2 BUrlG) (Gesetze im Internet, givve.com).
Waiting period (Wartezeit)
The employee becomes entitled to the full annual leave after six months of continuous employment with the same employer (§ 4 BUrlG) (Arbeitsrechte).
Requesting and using annual leave
The employee usually submits a written leave request well in advance – often several weeks or months before the planned holiday, depending on company practice.
The employer may not normally force the employee to work during an approved period of annual leave, unless both sides explicitly agree to cancel or postpone the leave – and competent authorities may sometimes reject such arrangements.
Carry-over and expiry of leave
As a rule, unused annual leave for the current year expires if it is not taken by 31 December, unless there is an agreement to carry it over until 31 March of the following year (§ 7 para. 3 BUrlG) (Arbeitsvertrag).
Definition of night time / public holiday work
Night time: Work performed between 23:00 and 06:00 (in bakeries 22:00–05:00) is considered night work and may entitle employees to night and holiday pay supplements, provided the legal conditions are met (Clockodo).
Public holidays in 2025 by federal state (example: North Rhine-Westphalia):
01.01.2025 (Wednesday): New Year’s Day
18.04.2025: Good Friday
21.04.2025: Easter Monday
01.05.2025: Labour Day
… and other holidays (dgb.de).
Financial compensation (Feiertagszuschlag)
When working on a public holiday, employees are typically paid at least 125% of their basic hourly wage (§ 2 ArbZG). This extra pay is exempt from income tax and social security contributions up to a maximum of 25 € per hour (§ 3 b EStG) (Arbeitsvertrag, Federal Ministry of Finance).
On special days such as 1 May and the Christmas holidays (25–26 December), the supplement may increase to 150%, also tax-free (Personio).
Substitute rest days (Ersatzruhetag)
If an employee works on a public holiday that falls on a regular working day, they must be granted a paid substitute rest day within eight weeks (§ 11 ArbZG) (Arbeitsrechte).
Limits on working hours and rest periods
On public holidays, daily working time must not generally exceed 8 hours. It may be extended to 10 hours as long as the average does not exceed 8 hours per day over a reference period of 6 months or 24 weeks (§ 6 para. 2 ArbZG) (Haufe.de News und Fachwissen).
There must be at least 11 consecutive hours of rest between two shifts (§ 5 ArbZG) (dgb.de).
Plan early: Coordinating annual leave schedules at the beginning of the year (or early in the planning process) helps to ensure sufficient staffing and makes sure employees can fully benefit from their leave entitlements.
Document your claims: Keep copies of your leave requests and records of any holiday supplements paid and substitute rest days granted.
Ask HR or the works council: In case of disputes about the granting of annual leave or the payment of public-holiday supplements, contact your HR department or, if available, the works council (Betriebsrat).
Compliance with the law: Respecting these rules protects the legal rights of employees and helps the company avoid breaches of labour law and possible fines.
By following these rules, employees can maintain a healthy balance between their right to rest during annual leave and their entitlement to fair compensation when working on public holidays, while employers remain compliant with German labour law.
The editorial and writing team of this website strives to provide accurate information based on thorough research and consultation of multiple sources. Nevertheless, errors may occur or some details may remain uncertain. Therefore, please treat the information in these articles as an initial reference and always consult the competent authorities or professionals for binding and up-to-date guidance.
