Regulations regarding your wages

Your employment contract usually states how much you will be paid for your work (as an employee). It tells you how much money you earn in a month or in an hour. It is important to know whether a collective agreement applies to you. Collective agreements can also contain rules on wages. Some sectors have an industry-specific minimum wage, for example in the electrical trade or building cleaning.

Please note: Germany has a statutory minimum wage!

When you receive your wages must be precisely regulated. This is what is known as the due date. The law stipulates that wages are only paid after work has been performed. So if you are paid per month, you will receive your wages on the first day of the next month. This is stipulated by law.

Please note: there are exceptions to this rule:

The minimum wage must be paid no later than the last bank working day of the month following the month in which you worked: So if you worked in July, you must receive your salary for this by the last working day in August at the latest.

In the case of vocational training (trainee pay), your salary must always be paid on the last working day of the month.

The employment contract or collective agreement may stipulate something other than the statutory regulation. Here it is often agreed that the wages must be paid on the 15th day of the following month. However, an earlier payment date can also be agreed. You should check what it says in your employment contract.

Supplements to your wages

In addition to the agreed wage, supplements or bonuses may also be paid. These are amounts that the employer pays in addition to the basic wage. The only legal requirement is that there must be supplements for night work. Night work is work between 11 pm and 6 am (for confectioners/bakeries: between 10 pm and 5 am). Supplements for overtime, work on Sundays and public holidays are often agreed in collective agreements or employment contracts. The supplements can vary in amount. If you are paid supplements, they will also be listed on your payslip.