Mitschrift

Vacation, sick leave and time off

How much vacation do I have? What should I do if I’m sick? And how is a leave of absence from work regulated? For example, if the leave is needed for taking care of family members if sick? This StartWien video gives you an overview.

Vacation days and vacation entitlement

Vacation entitlements depend on the employment relationship. Persons who are not entitled to paid vacation are those who have a freelance contract, a service contract, or work on a self-employed basis. On the other hand, those who work part-time or full-time and are covered by social security are eligible for:

5 weeks of paid vacation

special payments (such as 13th and 14th month salaries)

continued payment of wages during sick leave

care leave

and severance pay. This also applies to marginal employees.

The entitlement to vacation is usually 5 weeks per year. If your entitlement is calculated according to working days, the following applies:

In the case of a 5-day week (Mon.-Fri.) 25 vacation days.

In the case of a 6-day week (Mon.-Sat.) 30 vacation days.

My tip: Clarify vacation leave with your boss, because any vacation days you want to take must be approved by your company. Make your vacation wishes known in good time - preferably in writing.

Paid vacation

Vacation pay is the annual special payment that is usually paid in June. You will only receive special payments such as vacation pay and Christmas bonus if this is stated in your employment contract. Vacation pay is the normal payment you receive during your vacation. If you work part-time or full-time, you are always entitled to "paid vacation". If you do not use up your vacation days, you can carry them over to the next year. However, make sure that your claims do not expire. If the employment relationship is terminated, you can have unused vacation days paid out as a substitute benefit (Ersatzleistung). The days on which your vacation is interrupted due to illness do not count as vacation days, provided you have a certificate of illness and the illness lasts longer than 3 days.

Sick leave and benefits

If you are sick, you must immediately report it to your company. It's best to go to the doctor on the same day and get a sick leave certificate. Then send this certificate to your company right away. If you are sick, you will continue to receive your salary for a certain time. In the first year of service, the company will continue to pay your full salary for 6 weeks and half your salary for another 4 weeks. From the second year of service, this continuation of payment increases to 8 weeks. If you are ill for a longer period, you can apply for benefits (Krankengeld) from the health insurance fund. For more details, please contact your health insurance fund or the Arbeiterkammer Wien (Vienna Chamber of Labor). Attention. Sick leave does not protect you from being dismissed. The same contractual notice periods and rules apply as otherwise.

Time off and nursing care for relatives

There are different types of time off. With some you get pay, with others you don't. It is important that you inform your employer in good time. Pregnant women enjoy maternity leave for 8 weeks before the birth and 8 weeks after. Fathers can also take time off after the birth - called parental leave for fathers. Young parents are entitled to parental leave until their child's 2nd birthday and can apply for childcare benefits from their social insurance agency. Learn more under Health in the video "Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting." You are entitled to one week of caregiver leave per year. This applies to the care of close family members in the same household. For children under 12, there is an additional second week of care. My tip: You can take caregiver leave by the day or by the week. Once it is used up, you fall back on your vacation days and can take caregiver leave unilaterally. Some leaves of absence are a matter of agreement. If you want to continue your education, you can arrange up to 12 months of educational leave with the company and apply for educational leave benefits from the AMS. In case of unpaid leave, the employment relationship is suspended for a certain period of time and can then be resumed.