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Pay

"We'll deduct food and your room from your pay."

The company provides accommodation or meals and offsets them against your pay.

§ 17 Abs. 6 BBiG

It depends …
Allowed — but at most at official benefit-in-kind values and never more than 75% of pay.
Benefits in kind such as accommodation or meals may be offset against pay, but only at the official social-insurance benefit-in-kind values — not at an invented price — and at most up to 75% of gross pay (§ 17 (6) BBiG). So at least a quarter must always remain for you in cash. It must be agreed, usually in the training contract. If you cannot use the benefit for a legitimate reason (e.g. because you are ill at home), it is paid to you in cash (§ 19 (2) BBiG). This occurs mainly in hotels, hospitality and agriculture.

What the law says

§ 17 (6) BBiG – Benefits in kind
Benefits in kind may be offset at the benefit-in-kind values set under SGB IV, but not beyond 75 percent of gross pay.
§ 19 (2) BBiG – Cash compensation
If trainees cannot take benefits in kind for a legitimate reason during the period of continued pay, these are to be compensated at the benefit-in-kind values.

What you can do

  1. Check your payslip: the deduction must be shown as a benefit in kind.
  2. Compare it with the current official benefit-in-kind values.
  3. Do the maths: at least 25% of your gross pay must be paid in cash.
  4. If nothing was agreed, nothing may be deducted.
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