Vacation
"Just take vacation on your school day."
Vacation is to be placed during school time, or school days are counted as vacation.
§ 19 Abs. 3 JArbSchG / § 15 BBiG
The boss may NOT do that
School days are not vacation — school remains compulsory.
Vocational school is compulsory and training time, not vacation: you are released for school days (§ 15 BBiG), and they may not be deducted from your leave. Vacation only applies to days when you would otherwise be at work. For minors it is written into law: leave should be given during the school holidays, and for every school day you attend during your leave you get an extra day of leave (§ 19 (3) JArbSchG). For adults the same applies in effect: leave during school time is practically worthless, because compulsory schooling continues.
What the law says
§ 19 (3) JArbSchG – Vocational school
Leave should be given to vocational students during the school holidays. Where it is not, an extra day of leave must be granted for every school day attended during the leave.
§ 15 (1) BBiG – Release
Trainers must release trainees to attend vocational school lessons.
What you can do
- Plan your vacation during the school holidays — that is easiest for everyone.
- If school days are deducted from your leave, raise it in writing.
- Under 18: for each school day during your leave you get a day back.
- No company can excuse you from compulsory school — not even with leave.
Email template for your trainer
Subject: School days counted as vacation
Dear [name of trainer],
my leave request for [period] includes [number] vocational school days. On those days I attend vocational school and am released for it under § 15 BBiG; they therefore cannot count as days of leave. [As a trainee under 18, under § 19 (3) JArbSchG I am entitled to an extra day of leave for each of those days.]
Please correct my leave account accordingly.
Kind regards
[Your name]
More cases: Vacation
- Your holiday is cancelled!
- You take holiday when I say!
- You only get 20 days' holiday, you don't need more.
- Tough luck, your holiday days are gone.
- You take a week off at most!
- No vacation until after probation.
- Your remaining leave expires on 31 December.
- Forget your remaining leave at the end of the training.
- You have to take vacation for the funeral.
- Educational leave? Not for trainees.