Short answer: Under the Federal Holiday Act (in German: Bundesurlaubsgesetz, BUrlG) you are entitled to at least 24 working days of leave per year, and the full entitlement arises after six months. In case of sickness, the employer continues to pay you for up to six weeks under the Continued Remuneration Act (in German: Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz, EntgFG), provided you are not at fault and the employment has lasted at least four weeks. The guide of the University of Marburg (last updated: 30 June 2026) recommends offsetting leave through reduced working time.
Student assistants at universities have the same statutory basis as other employees, with the rules of their contract and their university added on top. Short contracts and changing duty rosters make it hard to keep track. This guide explains what leave and sickness mean for you and which deadlines you should observe.
The most important points
- The statutory minimum leave is 24 working days per year.
- The full leave entitlement arises only after six months of employment.
- In case of sickness there is an entitlement to up to six weeks of continued pay after four weeks of employment, provided you are not at fault.
- A sickness absence must be reported without delay. If it lasts more than three calendar days, a medical certificate must be submitted by the following working day.
- The Marburg guide treats leave and duty rosters as separate points.
Leave under the Federal Holiday Act
The Federal Holiday Act forms the basis of leave for all employees. The minimum leave is 24 working days per year. Working days here means the days from Monday to Saturday, so the number converts according to how many days you work per week.
| Rule | Content | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum leave | At least 24 working days per year | Section 3(1) BUrlG |
| Waiting period | The full entitlement arises after six months of employment | Section 4 BUrlG |
| Compensation at the end | If leave can no longer be granted because employment ends, it must be compensated | Section 7(4) BUrlG |
The table names the rules that appear in the statute itself. How the conversion applies to part-time work, and what happens with a short contract, must be checked case by case. A note on working hours of student assistants is in the guide on the hours of student assistants.
Assumption: you work five days per week. Then 24 working days correspond arithmetically to 20 working days (24 × 5 ÷ 6). This is a common method of calculation, which you should check in your contract before planning any leave.
What the guide says about leave for assistants
The Marburg guide states that student assistants are entitled to leave. It recommends offsetting leave through a reduction of working time. Other arrangements are possible. The leave should also be agreed early with the supervisor.
For you this means planning your leave with the post before booking any travel. Whether you work fewer hours instead, or agree on another solution, should be recorded in writing so that the monthly settlement is correct.
Sickness: continued pay under the EntgFG
The Continued Remuneration Act regulates that an employee who is unable to work because of illness receives continued pay for up to six weeks, provided they are not at fault for the incapacity. The provision therefore does not apply to illness that the employee has caused through fault. Under section 3 (3) EntgFG the entitlement arises only after the employment relationship has lasted four weeks without interruption. In the case of a new incapacity caused by the same illness, a new six-week period begins only if there was no incapacity for that illness for at least six months beforehand or twelve months have passed since the first incapacity began (section 3 (1) EntgFG).
The duties are regulated as well. You must notify the incapacity and its expected duration without delay. If it lasts longer than three calendar days, you must submit a medical certificate no later than the following working day. The employer may also request the certificate earlier.
- Report to the post without delay on the first day of illness.
- State the expected duration of the incapacity.
- If the incapacity lasts longer than three calendar days, submit the medical certificate by the following working day.
- Document the absence so that the settlement remains correct.
Duty rosters and absence
Many assistant posts are tied to a duty roster. According to the Marburg guide, where working time follows the roster, the absence is credited in the amount of the shift hours planned in the roster. For pay, the roster therefore counts, not the number of days.
If you lost shifts through illness in a month, check the calculation with the post. A discrepancy in the settlement is easier to resolve if you have noted the planned shifts. How extra work is paid is explained in the guide on overtime as a student assistant (in German).
What happens at the end of the contract
When employment ends and leave can no longer be granted, it must be compensated under section 7(4) BUrlG. Compensation therefore applies where the leave cannot be taken because of the end of the contract. Before the contract ends, check how many days of leave remain.
Documentation makes every clarification easier
Anyone who wants to assert claims on sickness or leave needs evidence. Keep a copy of every sickness notice, every leave agreement and the duty roster. Emails with the HR department belong there too, because they show the state of an agreement.
A simple list with the date, the type of absence, the affected shifts and the contact person is usually enough. It saves time when the settlement is wrong or when the contract is extended and the entitlements are recalculated.
- Date and duration of each sickness notice, with the date it reached the post
- Agreed leave days with the date of the written confirmation
- Planned and actually worked shifts per month
- Name of the contact person and the outcome of each conversation
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to submit the sickness notice in writing on the first day?
The law requires notification of the incapacity without delay. The medical certificate is due once the absence lasts more than three calendar days. Ask the post whether it wants an earlier submission, because the employer may request one.
Do I get pay if I am ill during the lecture period?
For the duration of the incapacity there is an entitlement to continued pay for up to six weeks, provided there is no fault. How the cancelled shifts are credited follows the duty roster.
What happens after six weeks?
Continued pay is limited to six weeks. What applies afterwards depends on your health insurance. An overview of insurance during part-time work is available in the guide on health insurance with a side job (in German).
How do I plan leave in a short contract?
Agree the leave with the post early and record the agreement in writing. Also check whether the leave can still be taken before the contract ends, otherwise compensation applies.
What to do now
- Check in your contract how many leave days are agreed and how they are converted.
- Agree your leave with the post early and in writing.
- Observe the notification deadlines and the certificate requirement in case of illness.
- Check your outstanding leave and any compensation before the contract ends.
Related guides
- How many hours may a student assistant work?
- Student assistant pay 2027
- Overtime as a student assistant: when it is paid (in German)
- Becoming a student assistant: tasks, pay and application (in German)
- Academic careers: contracts, collective pay and fixed terms overview
Sources: Federal Holiday Act, sections 3, 4 and 7, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German), Continued Remuneration Act, section 3 and section 5, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German, retrieved 2 November 2026), University of Marburg, guide for assistants, short version, status 30 June 2026 (in German).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
