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Vacation

"You take a week off at most!"

The company only allows individual holiday days or short periods, but no longer continuous holiday.

§ 7 Abs. 2 BUrlG / § 19 Abs. 3 JArbSchG

The boss may NOT do that
A continuous holiday of at least 12 working days is mandatory!
Holiday is to be granted continuously, unless urgent operational or personal reasons justify splitting it (§ 7 (2) BUrlG). For more than 12 working days of holiday, at least one part must comprise 12 consecutive working days. For young people: holiday should be given continuously and during the vocational school's lesson-free period (§ 19 (3) JArbSchG).

What the law says

§ 7 (2) BUrlG – Splitting the holiday
Holiday is to be granted continuously, unless urgent operational reasons or reasons relating to the person of the employee make splitting the holiday necessary. If the holiday cannot be granted continuously for these reasons and the employee is entitled to more than twelve working days' holiday, one of the holiday parts must comprise at least twelve consecutive working days.
§ 19 (3) JArbSchG
Holiday should be given to young people who are still subject to compulsory vocational schooling, as far as possible during the vocational-school holidays.

What you can do

  1. Plan at least one block of 12 working days (≈ 2 weeks) per year.
  2. For vocational-school holidays: place recreational holiday there preferentially (young people).
  3. If refused: demand a written justification of the urgent operational reason.
  4. If the employer permanently refuses the block: involve the IHK / union.
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