Most working Germans can get paid to learn

Federal and state holidays, sick days, annual leave – every adult in Germany knows about these kinds of paid time off. But most working Germans have another option they aren’t aware of that – yes – gives them time out of the office while still receiving their full pay, but, more importantly, helps them expand their knowledge base and grow as individuals. 

It’s called Bildungsuralub or Bildungsfreistellung in German and is best translated as „educational leave“ in English. Below you can find out how it works and which German states allow it. We also tell you a bit about the TIP TOP English courses that have been approved for educational leave in four states. 

How does educational leave work? 

Fourteen of 16 German states have laws that support and protect educational leave. Bavaria and Saxony are the only two that don’t. 

If you work at a company in a state where educational leave is possible, you can – depending on the state – either take off five days each year or 10 days within two years to complete state-approved courses without losing income. The courses should help you learn more about something related to your job or expand your political awareness. 

This is how taking educational leave usually works: 

• You find a state-approved course you’d like to attend. 

• You formally let your employer know you’d like to take educational leave at least six weeks before the course starts. 

• In most cases, denying educational leave requests is illegal. However, states‘ laws often make a few exceptions. By searching „(state name) Bildungsurlaub“ in a search engine (e.g., „Hessen Bildungsurlaub“) you can find out more. 

• Once your leave is approved, you can book your spot in the course and attend it without losing any income or other paid time off. 

Interesting facts about educational leave 

Educational leave became a popular political idea in the 1960s and 1970s. The goal was to allow all workers the chance to continue to learn and improve themselves so that their professional and intellectual horizons could expand. West Berlin was the first German state to give workers a right to educational leave in 1970. 

Though the right has been available in most states for many years, the Federal Statistical Office released figures in 2019 showing that only around 1.5% of eligible German workers utilize educational leave. 

Take a learning vacation with TIP TOP English 

If you’re getting this Learning Nugget, you’re probably interested in improving your English skills – and that’s just the sort of thing you can do on your educational leave!

TIP TOP has seminars approved for educational leave by Hesse, the Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and Lower Saxony and these are on offer in 2025: 

• March 31-April 4 or November 3-7: Mastering English Correspondence in Online Meetings, by Email and on the Phone 

Increase your confidence in speaking and writing in English in international business situations. 

• May 19-23 or November 10-14: Mastering Business – Meeting the World: Power of Change and Global Opportunity 

Improve your ability to form creative solutions, express yourself clearly and convincingly, and make a difference in international meetings conducted in English 

• May 12-16 or November 24-28: Mastering Communication – Seeds of Understanding and Transforming Conflicts 

What do we understand and how are we understood? Turn conflicts into productive conversations in English and achieve the best outcomes for all parties. 

Register now! 

If you’re interested in any of these courses and have questions about them or how to ask for educational leave to attend them, we’re happy to help! Give us a call at 06708 89 79 79 6 or email us at info@tip-top-english.de.