German court bans counting holidays as vacation days; minijob workers expect ~€100 monthly pension

The Federal Labor Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht) ruled on 19 August 2025 that vacation days may only be deducted for days on which an employee has a work obligation. Holidays that fall within a vacation week cannot be counted as vacation days if the worker is already scheduled off, a decision that chiefly affects shift‑workers such as emergency medical staff, firefighters and nurses. The ruling sent the case back to the regional labor court to examine each disputed holiday individually.

A separate analysis of Germany's minijob system shows that after 20 years of contributions the expected statutory pension amounts to roughly €100 per month. This estimate assumes contributors pay the mandatory 3.6 % pension share on earnings up to €603 per month. The study also notes that opting out of pension contributions drastically reduces future entitlements and highlights additional benefits such as eligibility for disability pension and rehabilitation services.