Will I continue to receive special payments during the sabbatical?
October 28, 2024, 12:09 a.m
Time off from your job, but also from your Christmas bonus? Anyone hoping for special payments during a sabbatical could come away empty-handed. What matters.
A break from work can also mean foregoing special payments. © Daniel Karmann/dpa/dpa-tmn
Nathalie Oberthür is a specialist lawyer for labor law and chairwoman of the labor law committee in the German Bar Association (DAV). © Bine Bellmann/dpa-tmn
What actually happens to special payments such as Christmas bonuses during a sabbatical? Are they also paid during a longer professional break?
This basically depends on the individual contractual agreements. If the Christmas bonus is counted as a real salary component, it will not be paid during a sabbatical – as there is no entitlement to a regular salary during this time. This is what Nathalie Oberthür, a specialist lawyer for labor law, explains. In this case, Christmas bonus is considered part of the salary that is only paid if the employee actually works.
The situation is different if the Christmas bonus is only intended to reward company loyalty. In this case, the entitlement remains valid even during a sabbatical, as the employee continues to work for the company despite the time off from work. Anyone thinking about a sabbatical should therefore find out early about the possible effects on special payments.
About the person: Nathalie Oberthür is a specialist lawyer in labor law and chairwoman of the labor law committee in the German Bar Association (DAV).
© dpa
