Job Opportunities for Students in Summer: 7 Practical Tactics for Young Learners - Work holidays: 7 guidelines for schoolchildren and students seeking employment
In Baden-Württemberg, young people aged 15 and over can take up summer jobs, with strict adherence to child labor laws ensuring work is suitable for minors and meets safety and time restrictions.
Working hours for minors are strictly regulated, with a maximum of eight hours per day and 40 hours per week during school-free periods like summer vacation. Employment contracts outlining job role, working hours, pay, and duration of employment are essential to ensure clarity and legal protection for both students and employers.
For those aged 13 to 15, the maximum daily work hours are two hours, from 8 am to 6 pm. Light activities such as delivering newspapers or babysitting are permitted, but only with parental consent. Work on weekends is not allowed, with exceptions in gastronomy, care, or agriculture.
Employers must verify the age of summer jobbers and ensure the workplace complies with safety regulations, protecting students from hazardous conditions. Indoor temperatures should not exceed certain limits (e.g., 26 degrees Celsius) to safeguard health during summer.
Even short-term employment like summer jobs generally entitles students to a proportionate part of the statutory holiday entitlement, calculated based on the length of employment. Students in summer jobs are covered by social insurance, including health, accident, and liability insurance.
The current minimum wage in Germany is 12.82 euros gross per hour for full-time summer jobbers. For those under 18 and without completed vocational training, employers can agree on the wage freely, but it must be "appropriate". In some cases, a collective agreement may have to be taken into account for the remuneration of summer jobbers.
A safety briefing must be given to summer jobbers before work begins. It is crucial for students to confirm they receive at least the legal minimum pay. For precise legal conditions and up-to-date policies specific to your situation, checking with local labor offices or university career services in Baden-Württemberg is recommended.
While the "appropriate" wage for summer jobbers is often between eight and 12 euros per hour, it is essential to note that the minimum wage applies only to full-time summer jobbers over the age of 18 with completed vocational training. An employment contract is mandatory for all employment relationships, including short-term or seasonal employment, and summer jobbers are automatically insured against accidents as soon as they start working.
- After completing a vocational training program, many EC country graduates may find it beneficial to seek out work opportunities in sectors like home-and-garden or travel, as these trades are often transferable across borders.
- Despite the restrictions on work hours for minors during summer vacation in Baden-Württemberg, there's still a possibility to invest the earnings into improving one's lifestyle, perhaps by updating a part of the home-and-garden or even planning a travel adventure within the limits of one's budget.
