Title:
Guide to Part-Time Work (Teilzeit) in Germany (2025)

1. What is part-time work (Teilzeit)?

A part-time job (Teilzeitbeschäftigung) means that your weekly working hours are lower than those of a comparable full-time employee (Vollzeit) in the same position (Gesetze im Internet).

2. Legal framework

• Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act (TzBfG):
  Regulates the rights of part-time employees and the obligations of employers (e.g. entitlement to reduced working hours).

• Working Time Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz – ArbZG):
  Sets the daily and weekly limits for working hours:

  • Standard: 8 hours per day,

  • extendable to 10 hours per day,

  • provided that the average over 6 months or 24 weeks does not exceed 8 hours per day (Gesetze im Internet).

3. Defining working hours

4. Types of part-time contracts

• Permanent part-time contract (unbefristet Teilzeitvertrag):
  Permanent employment contract with a fixed number of weekly hours lower than full-time.

• Fixed-term part-time contract (befristet Teilzeitvertrag):
  Ends at a certain date or when a specific goal is reached; extensions and repetitions are regulated by the TzBfG.

• Probation period (Probezeit):
  Usually 3–6 months, during which both parties often have a short notice period (typically 14 days).

5. Pay and minimum wage

• Statutory minimum wage:
  As of 1 January 2025, the minimum wage is 12.82 € gross per hour and applies equally to part-time and full-time employees (Personio).

• Monthly salary calculation:
  Monthly gross salary =
  agreed weekly hours × hourly wage × 4.33 (average weeks per month).

6. Social insurance (Sozialversicherung)

As a part-time employee, you are treated like a regular employee and pay full social security contributions, shared between you and your employer:

• Pension insurance (Rentenversicherung – RV): 18.6 %

  • 9.3 % employee share

  • 9.3 % employer share (Arbeitsrechte)

• Unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung – ALV): 2.4 %

  • 1.2 % employee

  • 1.2 % employer (Arbeitsrechte)

• Health insurance (Krankenversicherung – KV):
  approx. 14.6 % + 2.5 % average additional contribution
  → roughly 8.55 % for the employee and 8.55 % for the employer (stellenmarkt.de)

• Long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung – PV): 3.6 %

  • 1.8 % employee

  • 1.8 % employer

  • + 0.25 % surcharge for employees without children, fully paid by the employee (Haufe.de News und Fachwissen)

• Accident insurance (Unfallversicherung – UV):
  Paid entirely by the employer, depending on the company’s risk class.

7. Rights of part-time employees

• Equal rights as full-time employees:
  Part-time workers are entitled to the same basic rights as full-time staff (vacation, sick pay, protection against unfair dismissal), based on the TzBfG and the Protection Against Dismissal Act (Kündigungsschutzgesetz) (Wikipedia).

• Annual leave:
  Calculated proportionally to your working schedule.
  The legal minimum is 20 days of paid leave per year for a 5-day full-time week; your entitlement is adjusted based on your part-time pattern.

• Sick pay:
  Up to 6 weeks of continued full salary from the employer (based on your part-time salary), then sickness benefits from the statutory health insurance.

8. Requesting a switch to part-time work

• Submit a written request to your employer at least one month before the desired start of the part-time arrangement.

• The employer is obliged to reply in writing within one month (§ 8 para. 5 TzBfG).
  If there is no written response in time, your working hours are automatically reduced as requested (bmas.de).

• You are not required to give reasons, but explaining your motivation (e.g. childcare, studies, caring responsibilities) may make agreement easier.

9. Protection from discrimination and work–life balance

• No discrimination:
  Discrimination against part-time employees is prohibited by Directive 97/81/EC.
  You are entitled to fair working conditions comparable to full-time employees (pay, promotion, training).

• After 6 months of employment in a company with 15 or more employees, you have the right under § 8 TzBfG to take legal action to
  → enforce a reduction in your working hours or an adjustment of your schedule if your request was unjustifiably refused.

10. Pension points

• Pension entitlements are based on pension points (Entgeltpunkte), calculated according to your income compared to the average contributor.
  Example:

  • 50 % of a typical full-time income ⇒ about 0.5 pension points per year.

• The insurance periods (Wartezeiten) in the statutory pension scheme count in full, even if you work in part-time (Wikipedia).

11. Practical tips

• Get everything in writing:
  Make sure your agreed weekly working hours are clearly stated in your employment contract, and keep records of your hours (timesheets, time tracking).

• Keep an eye on deadlines:
  Submit requests for part-time work or schedule changes early, at least one month before the planned start – earlier is better.

• Compare part-time offers:
  Look at:

  • number of weekly hours,

  • flexibility (e.g. home office, flexible shifts),

  • compatibility with family or studies.

• Check your rights:
  If in doubt, contact a

  • trade union,

  • labour law advice centre, or

  • specialised lawyer,
    to clarify your rights regarding vacation, sickness and dismissal protection.

By following these points, you can organise your part-time work in Germany with maximum clarity, fully exercise your rights and still benefit from the flexibility you need to balance work and private life.

The editorial team aims to provide accurate information based on thorough research and multiple sources. However, errors or uncertainties may occur. Please consider the information in this article as an initial reference only and always consult the competent authorities or professional advisers for binding and up-to-date guidance.