Is a mini-job a normal employment relationship?
As a private cleaner working in a mini-job (up to € 603), you normally have the same rights and obligations as a normal part-time employee and are not disadvantaged in comparison to them. Just like a part-time employee, you are entitled to holiday leave, continued payment of wages in the event of illness, and bonuses for night work. You also have public holidays off, and notice periods must be observed.
Your rights and obligations must be clarified before you start work. In principle, this can also be done verbally, but it is recommended that all agreements be recorded and documented in writing in the form of an employment contract. Once signed, an employment contract cannot be changed retrospectively, and the agreements formulated therein are valid.
What are employment contracts good for?
Basically, employment contracts serve to protect employees. The agreements made therein must not violate the statutory minimum requirements formulated in any collective agreements and company agreements.
For example, employees may not waive their holiday entitlement or voluntarily agree to remuneration that is lower than the minimum wage (€ 13.90 from January 2026). Furthermore, the dismissal process must not be made more difficult for the employee. Deviations from the statutory requirements are only permitted in the interest of the employee, but not vice versa, in the interest of the employer.
quitt helps you with this. quitt takes care of registering and managing your domestic help.
Save time with the quitt employment service:
- Correct employment contract and registration of your cleaner with all authorities and insurance companies
- Monthly payslips and annual tax certificate (up to € 4,000 tax credit for you)
- Payment of all contributions, taxes and insurance premiums
- Also: administration of midijobs (for wages higher than € 603 or if the cleaner already has other mini-jobs)
- Includes € 30 starting credit with the code "Putzperle"
What are the key legal requirements that apply to employment contracts?
As a guideline, the legal requirements stipulate that all employees are entitled to four weeks of annual leave. The number of days of leave to which you are entitled per year depends on how many days a week you work. If you only work one day a week, you are entitled to 4 days off (1x4) per year. If, on the other hand, you work three days a week for only three hours each day, you are entitled to 12 days (3x4) of holiday.
Even as a mini-jobber, you are entitled to time off on public holidays and to remuneration. The day of the week on which you work should be specified in your employment contract. If this is not the case, employers can in principle also require you to come to work on a Saturday. However, if the agreed weekday coincides with a public holiday, you are entitled to time off and remuneration as an employee. However, the employer may require you to work on another weekday, but must pay you for this work in addition to the public holiday pay you have already received.
Other legal requirements regulate, for example, entitlement to sick pay (6 weeks), the minimum wage (€ 13.90), special payments such as holiday pay, and the notice period. They also clarify what constitutes good cause for summary dismissal, such as theft, falsification of work records, etc. If such grounds for dismissal exist, employers may terminate the employment contract without notice. How do you draw up an employment contract?
The employment contract can be an informal letter that sets out the essential agreements between the employee and the employer, such as: the names and addresses of the contracting parties, the start of the employment relationship and its duration in the case of fixed-term contracts, the type of work and the place of work, working hours, the working week and salary, notice periods and special payments.
Although you can draw up an employment contract yourself, it is advisable to use pre-printed forms from the Minijobzentrale (mini-job centre) and to use them as a point of contact for advice on specific questions. Depending on the circumstances and the type of work, it may also be advisable to deviate from the standard form in certain respects and to seek legal advice for this purpose.