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Educational Leave & Special Leave: Your Right to Further Education – How You Can Benefit!
Do you wish for more time for further education without having to forgo your salary? Educational leave and special leave make it possible! Find out now about your opportunities and start your personal educational journey. For individual advice, contact us here.
The topic, briefly and concisely
Bildungsurlaub is a legal entitlement in most German federal states, which allows employees to receive paid training and expand their professional and personal skills.
The range of topics in educational leave spans from career-related seminars to personal development, with course and travel costs being tax-deductible and, in some cases, funding programmes are available.
Companies that promote educational leave benefit from more motivated and qualified employees, which can increase employee retention by up to 10% and improve employer branding, leading to more applications per position.
Discover how you can enhance your professional and personal development with educational leave and special leave. We show you your rights and how to make the most of them!
What is educational leave?
Educational leave, also known as educational release or educational time, is a statutory entitlement for paid leave from work for educational purposes. It is important to distinguish educational leave from regular holiday entitlement and corporate training. Unlike corporate training, which is initiated and managed by the employer, the focus of educational leave is on the employee's freedom to choose the topics. However, the definition and exact structure vary depending on the federal state.
Why is educational leave important?
Educational leave offers numerous advantages for both employees and employers. For employees, it is an excellent opportunity to develop professionally and personally, acquire new skills, and deepen their knowledge. This fosters lifelong learning and contributes to the enhancement of individual employability. For employers, promoting educational leave can boost employee motivation and qualifications, improve employer branding, and potentially reduce absenteeism through health promotion measures. Learn more about the benefits for employers.
By providing your employees the opportunity for educational travel special leave, you invest in their future and simultaneously in the future of your company. Take the opportunity to strengthen your team and gain new perspectives. Find out now about the opportunities and requirements for educational leave in your federal state.
Regional Differences: How to Make the Most of the Laws
The Federal Structure of Germany
Germany does not have a nationwide regulation for educational leave. Due to the educational authority of the federal states, implementation is determined by the laws of each state. This means that there are different regulations in the various federal states regarding entitlement, duration, and content of educational leave. Notably, Bavaria and Saxony do not have a legal basis for educational leave. A detailed overview of the laws of the individual states can be found on Wikipedia.
Entitlement and Duration
In states where there is an educational leave law, employees are generally entitled to five days of educational leave per year or ten days every two years. However, there are differences here as well. For example, the Saarland has special regulations providing six days of educational leave, requiring part of the time to be contributed from personal free time. Familiarize yourself with the regulations in your state to make optimal use of your entitlement. The DGB provides comprehensive information on this.
Scope and Entitlement Requirements
The entitlement to educational leave is based on the principle of the place of work. This means the law of the state where the workplace is located is decisive, not the employee's place of residence or the company's headquarters. Additionally, in most states, there is a minimum employment period (waiting time) that must be fulfilled before an entitlement to educational leave arises. Part-time employees are also entitled to educational leave, but proportionately according to their working hours. Special rules often apply to civil servants and trainees, which can also vary from state to state. Further information on entitlement requirements can be found on our page.
Take advantage of the variety of topics: From career to personality
Diversity of Topics
The topics for educational leave events are diverse and range from job-related seminars to political education, to health prevention and personal development. For instance, you can take language courses, further your skills in specific technical areas, or attend seminars on stress management and relaxation. The broad selection of topics allows you to tailor the educational leave to suit your individual needs and interests.
Recognition as Educational Leave
For an event to be recognised as educational leave, it must be officially recognised by the competent state authority of the respective federal state. Providers of educational leave events must apply for recognition in each state separately. The criteria for recognition may vary but usually include a minimum duration of the event and content alignment with the objectives of the educational leave legislation. Ensure the event is recognised as educational leave in your state when selecting it. Check the recognition before registering.
Take advantage of the diverse topics offered as part of special leave for educational travel to develop both professionally and personally. Choose an event that matches your interests and opens up new perspectives for you. Make sure to check the recognition of the event in your state beforehand to ensure you can claim your right to educational leave.
Successfully apply: How to make educational leave work
The Path to Educational Leave
The path to educational leave begins with being informed about your rights and the regulations in your respective federal state. Subsequently, select a recognised seminar that matches your interests and needs. From the seminar provider, you will receive the necessary application forms, which you must submit along with your application to your employer. Be sure to pay attention to the deadlines, which can vary depending on the federal state. Generally, you must submit the application several weeks before the start of the seminar. The DGB offers a good overview of the deadlines.
Required Documents
For a complete application, you generally need the following documents: An enrolment certificate from the seminar provider, a recognition notice confirming that the event is recognised as educational leave, and a schedule of the seminar showing the content and timing. Ensure that you submit all required documents completely and on time to guarantee a smooth processing of your application. A checklist of the required documents can be found here.
Rejection by the Employer
Your employer may reject your application for educational leave if there are urgent operational requirements or if a specific quota of educational leave days within the company has already been exceeded. In the event of a rejection, you should carefully examine the reasons and, if necessary, seek a discussion with your employer. If the reasons for rejection are not justified, you may consider submitting another application or contacting the appropriate authority. Rexx-Systems provides information on reasons for rejection.
Securing Financing: How to Save on Your Educational Leave
Cost Distribution
During educational leave, your employer will continue to pay your salary. However, you are responsible for covering the course fees, travel expenses, and accommodation yourself. There are ways to reduce these costs, though. For example, you can deduct course fees and other expenses as professional expenses in your tax return. More information on cost distribution can be found here.
Tax Deductibility
You can generally claim the costs for your educational leave as professional expenses in your tax return. This includes course fees, travel expenses, and costs for accommodation and meals. Please consult your tax advisor or the tax office for exact conditions and possibilities regarding tax deductions. Further information on tax deductibility can be found on our site.
Funding Opportunities
In some federal states, there are government funding programmes offering grants or scholarships for educational leave events. Trade unions may also offer support for their members. Find out about the different funding opportunities and check if you are eligible for financial support. Information on funding programmes can be found here.
Take advantage of the various options to reduce the costs of your educational special leave. Inform yourself about tax benefits and funding opportunities to make the most of your entitlement to training.
Educational Leave in Practice: Successes and Challenges
Erfolgsgeschichten
Many employees report positive experiences with educational leave. They appreciate the opportunity to further their education in peace, free from the pressures of daily work. This often leads to greater motivation and skill enhancement, which can positively impact job performance and career prospects. Companies also benefit from the new insights employees bring back from their educational leave. Read more about success stories.
Herausforderungen und Kritik
Despite the many advantages, there are also challenges and criticisms associated with educational leave. For example, it is criticised that the focus of some events is not sufficiently on genuine further education. Additionally, the utilisation of the offer is relatively low at 1-3%. Potential conflicts with employers and doubts about the usefulness of educational leave can also be reasons for its low uptake. More information on challenges and criticism can be found here.
Despite the challenges, educational leave remains a valuable tool for promoting lifelong learning and enhancing the competitiveness of companies. It is important to highlight the positive aspects and to create conditions that enable as many employees and employers as possible to benefit from its advantages.
Promoting Personal Development: Strategic Use of Educational Leave
Long-term Benefits for Businesses
Businesses can strategically use educational leave to enhance employee retention, develop a learning culture within the company, and improve competitiveness. By actively supporting their employees in planning and participating in educational leave, they show appreciation and promote personal and professional development. This can positively impact the motivation, commitment, and innovative capacity of employees. Learn more about the benefits for businesses.
Recommendations for Employers
Employers should actively inform their employees about their rights to educational leave and support them in the application process. They should create a learning-friendly corporate culture where further training is regarded as an important aspect of personnel development. Additionally, they should acknowledge the positive effects of educational leave and support employees in applying the acquired knowledge in their daily work. Rexx-Systems offers recommendations for employers.
Utilize the educational travel special leave as a strategic tool for personnel development to promote your employees and make your company future-proof. Establish a learning-friendly corporate culture and support your employees in planning and undertaking educational leave.
Shaping the Future: Digitalisation and New Learning Methods
Digitalisierung und Bildungsurlaub
Die Digitalisierung verändert auch den Bildungsurlaub. Online-Kurse und Blended Learning-Angebote werden immer beliebter und bieten neue Möglichkeiten, sich flexibel und ortsunabhängig weiterzubilden. Auch Themen wie digitale Kompetenzen und künstliche Intelligenz rücken verstärkt in den Fokus. Es ist wichtig, dass Bildungsurlaubsveranstaltungen den Anforderungen der digitalen Arbeitswelt gerecht werden und die Teilnehmer auf die Herausforderungen der Zukunft vorbereiten. Discover our educational trips.
Politische Entwicklungen
Es gibt Bestrebungen, die Regelungen zum Bildungsurlaub auf Bundesebene zu vereinheitlichen und das Angebot auf weitere Themenbereiche auszuweiten. Auch die Anerkennung von Online-Kursen und Blended Learning-Angeboten soll erleichtert werden. Diese politischen Entwicklungen könnten dazu beitragen, den Bildungsurlaub attraktiver und zugänglicher zu machen. Stay informed about political developments.
Internationaler Vergleich
Ein Blick auf andere Länder kann wertvolle Impulse für die Weiterentwicklung des Bildungsurlaubs in Deutschland liefern. So bietet beispielsweise das italienische Modell (150 ore) einen umfassenderen Anspruch auf bezahlte Freistellung für Weiterbildung. In der Schweiz hingegen gibt es keine gesetzlichen Regelungen zum Bildungsurlaub, was zu einer geringeren Nutzung und einer stärkeren Abhängigkeit von den Unternehmen führt. Compare the models.
Educational Leave: Your Investment in the Future
More useful links
The IWWB provides a definition and explanation of the different forms of educational leave in the individual federal states.
The DGB offers comprehensive information on the regulations and entitlements regarding educational leave.
Wikipedia provides a detailed overview of the laws on educational leave in the individual federal states.
FAQ
What exactly is educational leave and who is entitled to it?
Educational leave, also known as educational leave or educational time, is a statutory entitlement to paid leave from work for educational purposes. Employees are entitled to this in 14 out of 16 federal states, with exceptions being Bavaria and Saxony.
What topics can be covered under educational leave?
The topics are diverse, ranging from vocational seminars and political education to health prevention and personal development. It is important that the event is recognized as educational leave.
How many days of educational leave am I entitled to per year?
In most federal states, employees are entitled to five days of educational leave per year or ten days every two years. Saarland has a special regulation with six days, whereby a portion must be taken from personal time.
Who bears the cost of educational leave?
While the employer continues to pay the salary, the employee covers the course fees, travel expenses, and accommodation. However, these costs can often be claimed for tax purposes.
How do I apply for educational leave?
Select a recognized seminar, request the application documents from the organizer, and submit them along with your application in good time (several weeks before the start of the seminar) to your employer.
Can my employer reject my educational leave application?
Yes, the employer can reject the application if there are urgent operational requirements or if a certain quota of educational leave days in the company has already been exceeded.
Are there funding opportunities for educational leave?
In some federal states, there are state funding programs that offer grants or scholarships for educational leave events. Trade unions also sometimes offer support for their members.
What happens if I do not take my educational leave?
In some federal states, such as Berlin, unused days can be carried over to the next period, but this requires the employer's written confirmation.
