Minijob: How to secure your pension entitlement

As of January 1, 2026, the statutory minimum wage and the earnings threshold for mini-jobs have increased. These changes will affect mini-jobs. Mini-jobbers are generally subject to pension insurance and can benefit from the advantages of pension insurance by paying their own contributions. Employees in mini-jobs with an earnings limit are generally required to pay pension insurance contributions. The amount of your own contribution depends on whether mini-jobbers are employed in the commercial sector or in a private household.

With a Commercial mini-job employers pay a flat-rate pension insurance contribution of 15%. Mini-jobbers pay the difference to the full pension insurance contribution rate. The current figure is 18.6%. Minijobbers must therefore 3.6% of their earnings pay. In private households the flat-rate contribution for employers is 5%. Domestic helpers therefore pay a personal contribution of 13,6%.

A written employment contract for mini-jobs is not mandatory. Verbal contracts with mini-jobbers are generally permitted. However, employers are obliged to keep a written record of the essential working conditions for mini-jobbers. The Verification Act requires comprehensive documentation of working conditions. These regulations provide security for mini-jobbers and employers. Written proof of working conditions is not the same as an employment contract. It is only a simplified version. A full employment contract for a mini-job offers more security. It creates clear and binding regulations between the employer and the mini-jobber.

The law on proof requires employers to record essential working conditions in writing and hand them out to their mini-jobbers. The written proof must include the following information:

1. Contracting parties and start of the mini-job
   1. Name and address of the mini-jobber
   2. Name and address of the employer
   3. Start of the mini-job (for temporary mini-jobs also the end date or the expected duration)
   4. Duration of the probationary period, if agreed
2. Activity and location
   1. Type of activity
   2. Place of work
3. Working hours and organization of work
   1. Working hours, rest periods and breaks, regulations on shift work if applicable
   2. Conditions for work on call
4. Earnings and payment method
   1. Composition of earnings (including remuneration for overtime, bonuses, allowances, premiums and special payments)
   2. the due date and method of payment
   3. the possibility of ordering overtime, if agreed
5. Vacation, training and additional benefits
   1. Vacation entitlement
   2. any entitlements to further training
   3. for company pension schemes: Name and address of the pension provider
6. Further regulations and references
   1. Reference to applicable collective agreements, works or service agreements
   2. Notice periods and intended form of termination