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Vacation

"You only get 20 days' holiday, you don't need more."

You wonder how many days' holiday you are legally entitled to — and whether 20 days is lawful.

§ 19 JArbSchG / § 3 BUrlG

This is allowed
Minimum entitlement by age (young people: 25–30 working days)
Young people have a staggered minimum holiday (§ 19 JArbSchG): under 16 = 30 working days, under 17 = 27 working days, under 18 = 25 working days. Adults: at least 24 working days for a 6-day week / 20 working days for a 5-day week (§ 3 BUrlG). Collective or employment agreements may provide MORE — never less. The reference date for age: 1 January of the calendar year.

What the law says

§ 19 JArbSchG – Holiday
Holiday amounts to at least 30 working days per year if the young person is not yet 16 at the start of the calendar year; 27 working days if not yet 17; 25 working days if not yet 18.
§ 3 BUrlG – Duration of holiday
Holiday amounts to at least 24 working days per year.

What you can do

  1. Working days = Mon–Sat. For a 5-day week: 24 working days = 20 working days.
  2. Age at the start of the year decides — anyone still 17 in January has 25 days for the whole year.
  3. Extra holiday from a collective agreement/contract = binding, not unilaterally reducible.
  4. When switching from probation to full employment: holiday pro rata until year-end, then full entitlement.
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