Public Holidays in Germany for 2019
Germany is one of the top 10 destinations for tourists to visit, and this country has a rich cultural and historical background. Germany is a developed country, with a lot of power and a strong economy. Its tradition is long-standing, and it provides higher quality education to anyone.
Germany’s public holidays consist of religious and national holidays that are observed in the entire country or region within the 16 states.
In comparison to other countries, Germany has a lot of public holidays. For instance, Sundays are considered by the law as days for resting. That means banks and shops will often be closed. Public holidays are different from paid holiday leave.
If you are interested in investing, there are many reasons why you must set up a business in Germany and know about them now.
What Employers Must Know About Germany Public Holidays
There are at least 24 days of paid leaves an employee is entitled to each year in Germany. It is according to working six days a week except for Sundays. It is the German system that distinguishes working days and office days. Generally, office days are from Monday to Friday, so the four-week minimum vacation is up to 20 office days. Usually, employees give more than the minimum vacation required. They commonly give between 25 to 30 days per year.
If the employee has been working in the company for six months, they have full vacation entitlement. In case the employee has been terminated before six months, the employee must be given 1/12 of the entitled number of days for each month they worked.
Employees must apply to be given vacation time, and the request must be approved.
Dates of the Germany Public Holiday 2019
Date | Day/s | Holiday | Type |
1 January | Tuesday | New Year’s Day/ Neujarhstag | National |
6 January | Sunday | Three Kings/ Heilige Drei Konige | Local |
8 March | Friday | International Women’s Day/ Tag der Frau | Observance |
19 April | Friday | Good Friday/ Karfreitag | Public |
21 April | Sunday | Easter Sunday/ Ostersonntag | Local |
22 April | Monday | Easter Monday/ Ostermontag | National |
1 May | Wednesday | Labor Day/ Tag der Arbeit | National |
8 May | Wednesday | 75th Anniversary of WWII End | Observance |
12 May | Sunday | Mother’s Day/ Muttertag | Observance |
30 May | Thursday | Ascension Day/ Christi Himmelfahrt | National |
30 May | Thursday | Father’s Day/ Vatertag | Observance |
June 9 | Sunday | Whit Sunday/ Pfingstsonntag | Observance |
10 June | Monday | Whit Monday/ Pfingstmontag | National |
20 June | Thursday | Corpus Christi/ Fronleichnam | Regional |
15 August | Thursday | Assumption Day/ Maria Himmelfahrt | Local |
20 September | Friday | World Children’s Day/ Wetkindertag | Regional |
21 September | Saturday | Oktoberfest | Observance |
3 October | Thursday | Day of German Unity/ Tag der Deutschen Einheit | National |
31 October | Thursday | Reformation Day/ Reformationstag | Local |
1 November | Friday | All Saint’s Day/ Allerheiligen | Public |
20 November | Wednesday | Repentance Day/ Bub-und Bettag | Local |
25 December | Wednesday | Christmas Day/ Weihnachstag | National |
26 December | Thursday | St. Stephen’s Day/ Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag | National |
31 December | Monday | New Year’s Eve/ Silvester | Bank Holiday |
Benefits of Employee During Public Holidays
Employees must be given a holiday pay that can be given to the minimum statutory yearly holiday entitlement. It is calculated based on the average salary of the employee during the 13 weeks before a holiday.
Generally, employees must take a holiday annually in the calendar year. Otherwise, that is forfeited. To make sure about this, the employer has to clearly and transparently tell employees that by the end of the year, the vacation forfeiture entitlement becomes imminent. It must give employees the chance to have a yearly vacation or the holidays are not forfeited when the calendar year ends. However, the unused holiday can be carried until March 31 of the next year in case the employee is unable to take a holiday because of personal or operational reasons.
If it is a long-term sickness, the vacation can be carried on even after March 31. In case the holiday entitlement remains when the employment ends, employees may claim financial compensation for the holidays they did not take.
The employee is entitled to a paid time off if they have been employees for four weeks already. It is for the statutory sick pay unless the employee is one of the causes of why he or she got sick. In case the employee has fallen ill because of the same underlying issue, the six-week period is going to commence in case the six months already elapsed since the sick leave ended. In case one year has already passed since the first sick leave started, the case will be the same.
Doing Business in Germany
When you do business in Germany, it is vital that you appreciate the business etiquette they have because it is essential to them. Germany has a robust individualistic nature, and it demands a lot of respect many times. That is why they expect a very high standard. That means you must make sure to give them that.
If you are wondering why set up a business in Germany, it is very lucrative, and the market is good.