Employers based in Germany or abroad who employ employees in Germany have to grant the working conditions that are generally defined in Germany by law or administrative provisions, regardless of the sector in which they work.

As a matter of principle, every employee is entitled to be paid by their employer not less than the statutory minimum wage pursuant to the Minimum Wage Act, unless the Posted Workers Act and/or the Act on the Provision of Temporary Workers prevail over the former.

In certain sectors you are entitled to payment of not less than a minimum wage. If you work in the temporary employment industry you are entitled to a minimum hourly pay as a wage floor for periods during which you are transferred out and for periods during which you are not transferred

Employees may be entitled to further remuneration components, such as a 13th month's income or supplements to the hourly wage, insofar as a there are special rules in a nationwide collective agreement, that has been declared to be generally binding.

Your employees are entitled to overtime premiums in accordance with the applicable collective agreements.

You must grant regular holidays to all employees posted to Germany.

Your employees are entitled to holiday pay.

In a number of industries you must pay your employees a vacation allowance in addition to their regular holiday pay.

Both the mainstream construction industry and the scaffolding trade have introduced a holiday pay fund procedure under the terms of the Posting of Workers Act.

In various sectors, an employer has to comply with certain requirements for the accommodation that are provided for employees who are deployed away from their regular workplace.

In various sectors, an employer must provide allowances and reimbursement of expenses to cover travel, board and lodging costs.
You can find information on this under the topic General Conditions of employment.

Certain employment activities that are only temporarily carried out in Germany are excluded from the application of the regulations of the Minimum Wage Act, the Posted Workers Act and the Provision of Temporary Workers Act.

The Minimum Wage Act also applies in principle to international road transport journeys in Germany.

During an inspection, evidence of working time and other specific documents must be made available to the staff of the authority monitoring unreported employment (Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit).

As an employer you are liable if your contractor or that contractor’s sub-contractor does not pay at least the minimum wage or fails to make contributions to the holiday pay fund.

Violations of the MiLoG, the AEntG and the AÜG are punishable as administrative offences.

The employee has the right to sue for compliance with legal working conditions.