Mini-job in Germany

Around 8 million Germans work mini-jobs and, for most of them, they are their only source of income. Although this model – known as «minor employment model» – is heavily criticised, its success from an economic perspective has motivated other European countries to consider it as an option. Mini-jobs are

But, what is a mini-job? What about health insurance? Can a minijobber get fired?

In this post I try to answer all your questions. Let’s go!

What are mini-jobs?

A mini-job is any form of employment with an average monthly payment of no more than €450.

Although mini-jobs are typically related to cleaning jobs, they can also come from agencies, startups, language schools and larger companies looking for part-time help.

Which are the pros?

Minijobbers – people who have a mini-job contract – with no alternative source of income pay zero taxes on earnings up to €450
The state covers the minijobber’s social and health insurance
All minijobbers have the same rights as other employees, meaning that «same rights» apply on holiday and sick pay, as well as on maternity leave
Minijobbers can take on another side job

Which are the cons?

Minijobbers are usually paid a lower wage than fully employed colleagues
To improve emplyoment statistics – you may have heard that the unemployment rate in Germany is around 4% – politicians count minijobbers as regular working people
It can be difficult to turn a mini-job into a full-time job.

Who benefits from this kind of job contract?

Both parties.

For minijobbers, a mini-job is always a good opportunity to earn some money – the €450 arrive always to the person’s bank account with tax deducted already – and get some experience in the German market.

There are my students that work as minijobbers while studying just to get some extra money. At the same time, many expats use this system to try working in a multicultural environment until they feel secure enough to work for a large company.

For employers, a mini-job is a good deal to save some money – they do not have to pay for insurance obligations – and to hire motivated professionals. A good example of this are startups companies. Most of them use this system to hire people until they have enough earnings to pay for higher salaries.

Why are mini-jobs more popular among young people?

As I mentioned before, mini-jobs are a good way to have a first contact with the job market and to earn some money. Therefore, mini-jobs are really popular among students.

But why?

Students are not allowed to work more than 20 hours per week – so they have time to work and keep studying.
The cost of a student health insurance is really low (I think around €70).
It is an easy way to earn some money to pay the rent – do not forget that many students in Germany live in shared flats with friends -, buy a car or make plans with friends.
Erasmus students: Most of them receive scholarships from their universities. Sometimes this money is not enough to live in Germany, therefore some extra money is always welcome 😉

Is it difficult to get a mini-job in Germany?

Since mini-jobs are part of the German culture, it is quite easy to find one.

The first website you should check is Minijob-Zentrale . In this page you can find all the information related to this topic and, of course, many mini-job offers.

Other interesting websites are:

Indeed

Meinestadt

eBay Kleinanzeige

StudentJob

Hint: Do not forget to check companies’ websites and freelance pages. At the same time, if you know any startup that started operating in your area, I suggest you to talk to them.

Can a mini-job turn into a full-time position?

I think it really depends on where you work. Some people managed to do it, whereas others just have to change their jobs because a mini-job is not enough to pay the bills.

Usually, companies with relatively larger amounts of mini-jobs convert more often these positions. While small ones such a café or restaurant, convert these positions only to replace employees who leave the company.

In startups or small companies you might have a chance if they are successful and the are able to hire people and turn mini-jobs into full-time positions. Although it is hard to believe, the have to pay a lot in terms of taxes, social security, health insurance… and sometimes it is not affordable for them to pay employees a full-time salary.

My personal suggestion is that you continue searching for something adequate for you while having a mini-job 🙂

Your turn

Have you ever had a mini-job? How was the experience? Were you able to change from a mini-job to a full-time position?

In case you want to share your experience feel free to leave a comment below or to contact me via social network. I am alway thrilled to read your adventures!