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Sabbatical: What happens to Christmas bonuses and special payments?
Find out whether and when special payments such as Christmas bonuses are paid during a sabbatical - legal aspects and tips.
Sabbatical: What happens to Christmas bonuses and special payments?
The sabbatical – a dream for many! But what happens to the Christmas bonus during this professional break? An exciting question that not only interests employees, but also makes employers sit up and take notice!
According to the renowned labor lawyer Dr. Nathalie Oberthür, the answers can be very different. If the Christmas bonus is a fixed part of the salary, it falls flat during the sabbatical! This means no Christmas bonus if no regular salary is paid. “If the employee does not work, he is not entitled to this extra,” explains Oberthür. A very unpleasant scenario for anyone who wants to relax on a sabbatical.
Significant differences in compensation
But not all Christmas bonus arrangements are created equal! If the Christmas bonus is used to reward loyalty to the company, the situation looks completely different. In this case, the entitlement remains even during the sabbatical because the employee continues to be part of the company. This is an important point for anyone thinking about a sabbatical - it is important to check your own contractual agreements carefully!
Dr. Nathalie Oberthür, specialist lawyer for labor law and chairwoman of the labor law committee at the German Bar Association, advises employees to find out early about the effects on special payments. If you plan to interrupt your regular working hours for a break, you should be clear about your financial requirements in advance!