With the planned increase in the minimum wage from October, those in marginal employment are also faced with the question: What does that mean for my mini-job? A lawyer explains.
The minimum wage will increase to twelve euros per hour on October 1st. Does this also have an impact on employees in mini and midi jobs?
Yes. On the one hand, the upper earnings limit for mini-jobs will be raised from 450 euros to 520 euros from October, explains Anke Marx, a lawyer at the Saarland Chamber of Labor. In the future, the limit should be based on a weekly working time of ten hours and the statutory minimum wage. “With a minimum wage of twelve euros, you can work around 43 hours a month.”
According to the lawyer, anyone who has a mini-job is not entitled to a contract adjustment: the working hours do not have to be increased, only the wages have to be adjusted.
Another change concerns the so-called exceeding. From October, according to Marx, the mini-job limit of 520 euros may only be exceeded in up to two calendar months within a year.
The amount was also specified: in future, mini-jobbers may earn a maximum of twice the mini-job limit (1040 euros) in one calendar month. “Thus, if the excess was unforeseeable, a maximum of 7,280 euros per year can be earned instead of the basically possible 6,240 euros,” says Marx. The changes to exceed will be specified in the law.
There are also innovations for employees in so-called midi jobs. So far they have been able to earn between 450.01 and 1300 euros per month in order to be able to take advantage of the lower social security contributions.
Here the limit will shift from October to 520.01 to 1600 euros. “In the lower part of this sliding zone, midi-jobbers are relieved of social security contributions, and the contribution share for employers increases,” explains Marx. Up to the upper limit of 1600 euros, the social security contributions are gradually adjusted up to the regular contribution.
(This article was first published on Monday, August 22, 2022.)
