An Arbeitsvertrag (employment contract) contains the terms and conditions of your job, meaning the rules and agreements that apply to your work. For example, it includes information about your working hours, pay, vacation entitlement, and place of work. You and your employer agree to the employment contract and both sign it. An employment contract can be written (on paper and signed) or verbal (spoken, without a written document). A written contract is better. However, you also have employment rights with a verbal contract.
Sometimes, your employment contract only includes a few details and says that the rules of a Tarifvertrag (collective agreement) apply. This means that you do not have a separate contract with rules that apply only to you. The rules in a Tarifvertrag are negotiated by a trade union. A Tarifvertrag protects you and your coworkers, for example from low pay.
You receive the employment contract from your employer. Your employer should give you a signed document that includes all the terms and conditions of your job. You should have this document before you start your job.
Employment contracts can look different, but they should include the following information:
- Employer and employee: Your name and address and your employer's name and address
- Start date: Your first day of work
- Place of work: Where you work
- Job duties: Your job or tasks
- Pay: How much you earn and when you get paid
- Working hours: How many hours you work each week or month, including overtime
- Vacation: How many vacation days you have each year
- Notice period: The time between giving notice and your last day of work
- Tarifverträge (collective agreements): Information about any Tarifverträge that might apply
- Date and signatures: The signatures of you and your employer
