Educational leave: Get special leave for your continuing education trip

☝️ The most important information in brief

• Employees in Germany are entitled to educational leave. It serves to further their education and acquire new skills and knowledge.
• Educational leave can be up to 5 days per year. It is also possible to combine two years and receive 10 consecutive days off work.
• The subject of the educational leave does not necessarily have to be related to the current job. Political further education is also permitted.
• Educational leave is possible in the vast majority of medical professions and is also beneficial for employees.

Nurses, medical technicians, and employed physicians can receive additional vacation days for continuing education. As employees, they are entitled to this educational leave, the details of which are regulated in each federal state by the Bildungszeitgesetz (Educational Leave Act).

Whether in North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, or another federal state, educational leave must serve the purpose of professional or political further training. For example, you can attend seminars on intensive care medicine or further your training in medical professions during your vacation days. The possibilities are endless. However, it is important to note that the training must be carried out by a recognized provider.

Employees are entitled to educational leave each year. Disabled people who work in workshops and trainees are also generally entitled to educational leave.

The details vary in Schleswig-Holstein compared to North Rhine-Westphalia, and again in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, as education and therefore educational leave is a matter for the federal states. However, the general right to further training for employees exists in 14 of the 16 federal states. Only in Bavaria and Saxony is there no legal right to paid educational leave.

If you want to participate in certain training events and these are recognized as continuing education measures, you are therefore entitled to educational leave under the Act on the Release of Employees for the Purpose of Vocational and Political Continuing Education (AWbG).

Who is not entitled to educational leave?

To override the AWbG, there must be clear operational reasons, or your workplace must have no more than 20 employees. Trainees may only apply for educational leave for political education and as part of further training for voluntary work. Professional further training is excluded, however, as the actual training is already considered to be such.

Taking educational leave when working part-time

In the case of part-time employment, the entitlement to educational leave is reduced in proportion to the working hours. For example, someone who only works half of the actual time is only entitled to 2.5 days of continuing education leave per year. The ratio of working time to leave time therefore remains the same.

Are students also entitled to educational leave?

The Educational Leave Act is primarily aimed at employees. In medical studies or most other courses of study, it would make little sense to take leave from your studies for educational purposes.

The courses must be completed before the state examination anyway, and the knowledge conveyed in the missed lectures and events would also have to be made up. Students do not receive any payment that could continue during educational leave anyway.

In order to obtain educational leave, employees must inform their employer of their planned continuing education in good time.

The application should be submitted by email at least 6 weeks before the start date. The date and location of the training course and information about its official recognition as a continuing education measure must be included.

Employee training must be offered by a recognized institution in order for it to be recognized as educational leave for participants. It should contribute to professional or political development. Training courses on health issues or stress management are also permitted.

In some cases, however, this depends on the federal state in which you are employed. For example, certain seminars that are recognized as grounds for educational leave in North Rhine-Westphalia may not be sufficient to grant educational leave in Lower Saxony.

Online educational leave is also recognized under the Educational Leave Act

Online educational leave is a recognized component of the Educational Leave Act. Employees can therefore also take leave for online continuing education courses.

This entitlement is often particularly attractive to medical staff, who are not normally able to work from home. Online educational leave is often a welcome change and an opportunity to combine educational leave with more time at home.

Medical staff, just like other employees, are entitled to paid educational leave. If you take educational leave, you are obliged to attend the events specified in advance. You must provide proof of attendance to your employer.

However, you also have free time during your educational leave and can pursue activities that have nothing to do with your continuing professional development. One of our most important tips is therefore not to focus exclusively on participating in the course you have booked, but also to take in as much of the surrounding area as possible and make the most of your educational leave.

Employees continue to receive their salary during the training period, but they must cover the costs of seminars or other events as well as travel expenses themselves.

In Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia, there is the possibility that the state will cover part of the costs. However, this usually applies to the payment of wages in small businesses and not to the actual costs of the training events.

If an employee takes leave from work for the purpose of educational leave, this does not mean that the employer must directly benefit from the training measure. Rather, the measure may also serve to improve the employee's personal qualifications, health, or ability to integrate.

As long as it is a recognized continuing education event, the use of educational leave is justified.

Each federal state has its own regulations. Employees in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, should therefore obtain specific information from the relevant authorities and not rely on online information that does not apply to North Rhine-Westphalia.

The North Rhine-Westphalia Employee Further Training Act and all other laws issued by the federal states on employee further training can be viewed online. This allows you to quickly find the right answer to specific questions and obtain the necessary information on whether your planned educational leave is feasible.

If you fall ill during your educational leave, the same rules apply as for normal vacation. Inform your employer immediately and submit a doctor's note. The educational leave will not be counted and can be made up later.

You can find detailed information about making up for educational leave by using the keyword search on the website of the relevant authority in your federal state.

For people working in the medical field, there are numerous educational events where they can expand their specialist knowledge. These include seminars on new medical procedures, health management, and sports with the aim of promoting health.

As in all other industries, it is important that the event is recognized as a professional or political training event.