Part-Time Holiday
Entitlement Calculator
Calculate holiday entitlement for part-time employees in Germany: 3-day, 4-day and 5-day weeks, including 20-hour and 30-hour contracts, mid-year start dates and switches from full-time to part-time, based on the German Federal Holiday Act (BUrlG §3 and §5).
Legal minimum: 20 days (5-day week)
Holiday days:
Based on German BUrlG incl. correct rounding. Non-binding result – please verify with HR or legal counsel.
Get your result in 3 steps
1. Enter values
Set your holiday days and working days per week using the sliders or inputs.
2. Optionally refine
For mid-year starts, terminations, or contract changes, select the relevant options.
3. Instant result
The statutory holiday entitlement under German law (BUrlG) is calculated automatically.
Part-Time Holiday Entitlement under BUrlG §3 – Key Facts
Part-time employees in Germany have the same statutory holiday entitlement as full-time workers – measured in calendar weeks, not days. The decisive factor is the number of working days per week, not hours. This follows from §3 of the Federal Holiday Act (BUrlG), which mandates four weeks of minimum leave for all employees.
The Formula for 3-Day, 4-Day Weeks and More
Holiday entitlement is calculated using the statutory proportionality principle:
Part-time holiday days = Full-time days × (Part-time days per week ÷ Full-time days per week)
Calculations in German labor law are based solely on weekly working days, not total weekly working hours. With 30 full-time days and 3 days/week: 30 × (3 / 5) = 18 vacation days.
Practical examples:
- 3-day week: with 30 full-time days (5 days): 30 × (3/5) → 18 days
- 4-day week: with 30 full-time days: 30 × (4/5) → 24 days
- 2-day week: with 30 full-time days: 30 × (2/5) → 12 days
- 1-day week (Mini-Job / Student Worker): with 30 full-time days: 30 × (1/5) → 6 days
- Switch Full-Time → Part-Time in July: 6 months full-time (30-day base) + 6 months part-time (18-day base) → (30/12 × 6) + (18/12 × 6) = 15 + 9 = 24 holiday days
Mid-Year Start: §5 BUrlG
Employees starting after January 1st are entitled to one-twelfth of annual leave per full month of employment under §5 BUrlG. Starting in April means 9/12 of annual leave. Fractions of 0.5 days or more are rounded up; below 0.5 are rounded down (§5(2) BUrlG).
Switching Full-Time to Part-Time Mid-Year (BAG 9 AZR 406/17)
Per Federal Labour Court ruling (BAG 9 AZR 406/17), when switching during the year, each period is calculated separately and the results added together. E.g., switching in July: 6 months full-time + 6 months part-time – each calculated independently. Previously earned full-time holiday days cannot be devalued.
Does This Apply to Mini-Jobs and Working Students?
Yes. The BUrlG applies to all employees in Germany – regardless of pay level or working hours. Mini-job holders (538 €), working students, and marginal employees are also entitled to proportional leave. Collective agreements may provide more favourable terms under §13 BUrlG; statutory minimum entitlement is mandatory.
Part-Time Holiday Entitlement in Practice: 20- and 30-Hour Contracts
Typical part-time models combine weekly hours and working days. The calculation always follows the same proportionality principle: part-time holiday days = full-time holiday days × (part-time days per week ÷ full-time days per week).
- 20 hours, 3-day week with 30 full-time days (5 days): 30 × (3/5) = 18 days – this matches the query "part-time holiday entitlement 20 hours 3-day week".
- 20 hours, 4-day week with 30 full-time days: 30 × (4/5) = 24 days.
- 30 hours, 5-day week with 30 full-time days: still 30 days, because the number of working days per week is the same.
- 15 hours, 3-day week with 30 full-time days: 30 × (3/5) = 18 days.
Short-Time Work (Kurzarbeit) and Phased Retirement (Altersteilzeit)
Under established BAG rulings (9 AZR 225/21), zero short-time work results in a proportional reduction of leave entitlements due to suspended working obligations. During the passive release phase of phased retirement, no holiday accrues.
Relevant Statutory Regulations
- § 3 BUrlG (Federal Holiday Act): Mandates a statutory minimum holiday of 20 working days for a 5-day week (24 days for a 6-day week) – guaranteeing 4 full calendar weeks of annual leave.
- § 5 BUrlG (Pro-Rata Leave & Rounding): Governs partial leave for mid-year starts (1/12 per full month worked). Fractions of at least 0.5 days must be rounded up to full days.
- Federal Labour Court (BAG 9 AZR 406/17): Vacation days earned while working full-time remain fully protected and cannot be devalued when transitioning to part-time.
- § 17 BEEG (Parental Leave & Reductions): Allows employers to reduce holiday entitlement by 1/12 per full calendar month of parental leave unless part-time work is performed.
Frequently Asked Questions
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