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Vacation, Flextime, Special Leave, Maternity Protection, Parental Leave, Sick Leave, Sick Children, ...

This page gives additional information on the listed subjects; for legally valid regulations turn to the Personnel and Finances Division of the Central University Administration.

Central Info Link

(covering some, but not all of the below subjects)

Vacation / Regular Paid Leave

see Regulations

further info provided by the FU staff council (in German only):

Application for leave

(request forms in German only)

use either --- holiday request form (FBV) --- or holiday request form (ZUV) → scroll down to: Urlaubsanträge

  • for a manual of the ZUV request form see Formulare der ZUV → Urlaubsanträge → Anleitung
  • employees must hand in their signed holiday request forms in due time before their vacation
  • if in doubt about the number of your (remaining) holidays, ask the person managing your vacation issues (usually your team secretary)
  • send or present your signed request form to the approving person (usually the head of your team) → after s/he signed, hand the form to the managing person (usually your team secretary)
    • if the team head is absent, the secretary may sign in his/her place according to prior agreement; otherwise, you have to turn to the faculty administration (FBV) or HR Dept. for approval
  • report back from leave to your secretary informally (by phone, mail, or in person)
  • vacation you didn't take before the end of the year - or weren't allowed to take due to probation regulations - is transferred to the following year; transferred holidays expire at the end of September
  • the 24th and 31st of December do not count as vacation, as they are generally free at FU Berlin

Special Leave (paid) / Release from Work (Arbeitsbefreiung)

(Compare below: Special Leave (unpaid))

Some situations entitle you to paid release from work, e.g., when your wife is giving birth to a child (1 day), or a close relative of yours has died (spouse, child, parent; 2 days)

  • Application:
    Write an informal application for Arbeitsbefreiung gemäß § 29 Abs. 1 Buchst. b) TV-L FU (= release from work according to § 29 ...) for the day(s) in question and let your superior sign to confirm that s/he has taken note.

For further details see Arbeitsbefreiung on the German(!) info pages A-Z Welcome Service provided by Division 1, HR Dept. (no English version available yet: 05/2022).

For assistance when affected by any such case, turn to the person responsible for you at the HR Dept.

Summons of a Witness (subpoena ad testificandum)

If you are summoned as a witness, you can apply for paid release from work.

  • Send a brief letter to the HR Dept. in which you ask for „Arbeitsbefreiung unter Fortzahlung der Vergütung gemäß § 29 Abs. 2 TV-L FU “, and add a copy of your summons letter.
  • Employees are entitled to a salary compensation for their services as a witness. Complete the claim form and hand it to the court cashier. The financial contributions you receive will be set off against your FU salary. Turn to the HR Dept. for details.
  • Should you have no claim for "salary compensation for employees", you are entitled to paid release from work.
  • The HR Dept. will inform you and your faculty administration (FBV) in written form about their consent to the release from work.

Special Leave (unpaid) (Sonderurlaub)

For details see:

Use your Christmas bonus to cover for unpaid leave

  • see Vacation and General Closure and scroll down to Taking Special Leave Instead of Receiving a Christmas Bonus
  • send an informal application with the exact dates of your desired Sonderurlaub (signed by yourself + your superior) to the HR Dept.
  • if approved, you will enter into a written agreement with the HR Dept. on a short-term special leave
  • if you fall ill during your unpaid leave, those days are lost (as opposed to regular vacation, where sick days can be transformed from regular leave to sick leave)
  • be aware of the effects an unpaid leave can have (in German only): Merkblatt über Auswirkungen eines Sonderurlaubs

Educational Leave (Bildungsurlaub)

Find details here:

Flextime (Gleitzeit)

Information provided by Divison 1, HR Dept.:

Info pages of the FU staff council (in German only):

Furthermore:

  • Flexdays (Gleittage) are no regular holidays, yet have to be approved and confirmed by your superior; note that unconfirmed absences constitute a violation of your duties and you consequently forfeit all your employee's rights including insurance coverage (e.g., should you have an accident, or fall ill during an unauthorized absence, your health insurance does not pay for it).
  • For applying, note down your flexdays (Gleittage)
    • on your personal time sheet (Zeiterfassungsbogen/Gleitzeitbogen) → ZUV forms, catchword: Gleitzeitbögen,
    • on your holiday request form (Urlaubsantrag) → mark the date(s) as Gleittag(e), number of holidays = 0. When using the ZUV form choose "Zeitgutschrift gem. § 7 Ziff. 4 DV GLAZ"; in case the form counts your flexdays as holidays leave open the end date(s) to get a 0 (zero) result.
  • Let your superior sign to confirm.
  • Inform your colleagues in advance about your absence (same as you would when taking a regular vacation).

FU Company Holiday/General Closure (Betriebsurlaub)

Find details about the annual Betriebsurlaub in the according Personalblatt (in German only) and in section Vacation and Gerenal Closure on the Regulations page.

If you don't have enough holidays left at the end of the year for FU's Betriebsurlaub, you can either use your overtime (flexdays/Gleittage) or draw on your next year's vacation.

Maternity Protection (Mutterschutz)

ZUV-docs:

ZUV-docs homepage: https://www.fu-berlin.de/service/zuvdocs (in German only)

Further info:

 Contact HR Dept.:

Parental Leave (Elternzeit)

Send an informal application for parental leave including your desired start and end dates to your superior (usually the head of your team). Add a line "approved" („einverstanden“) for your superior to sign and date the application letter. Forward the signed application letter to your HR Dept.
When you return from your parental leave, a Dienstantrittsmeldung has to be sent to the HR Dept. by your secretary.

Info Links:

Sick Leave

see sections

Sick Children

Info Links:

Essence in English:

You are entitled to sickpay for taking care of your child, if there is no other person living in your household who can look after the child (cf. § 45 SGB V). If you’re not entitled to sickpay, you are entitled to a limited number of sick days per year for each child (check the above Sick leave... info link for details). If you require more days, you have to draw on your vacation.

Be aware that sickpay (Krankengeld) is usually less than your regular income.

How to proceed:

  • Get a doctor's certificate for your sick child.
  • Write an informal application for „Sonderurlaub“ (special leave) because of your sick child:
    • Text: Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, hiermit stelle ich einen Antrag auf Sonderurlaub für den Zeitraum (Datum)-(Datum) (add dates from-to) zur Betreuung meines erkrankten Kindes. Die ärztliche Bescheinigung befindet sich im Anhang als Kopie. Mit freundlichen Grüßen 
    • translation FYI; please apply in German: Dear Madam or Sir, I am asking for special leave from (date) to (date) to look after my sick child. Find attached a copy of the docotor’s certificate. Kindly, ...
  • Send your informal application + the copy of your doctor’s certificate (= "Ärztliche Bescheinigung für den Bezug von Krankengeld bei Erkrankung des Kindes") to your HR Dept.
  • Send the original doctor’s certificate (= "Ärztliche Bescheinigung für den Bezug von Krankengeld bei Erkrankung des Kindes") to your health insurance.

Death of  a close relative

see above: Special Leave (paid)

Related Links