Why educational leave is important for startups

In almost all German states, employees have a legal right to five days of paid leave for further training. For startups in particular, this can be an opportunity to attract talent and keep employees healthy.

From a yoga class to mindfulness training to a study trip: Although employees in almost all German states can take five days of educational leave each year, only very few do so - although this would be especially important in the start-up environment.

According to the most recent figures - and they are more than ten years old for most German states - only between 0.3 and three percent of employees take advantage of their right to educational leave. One reason for this could be a lack of information about the legal entitlement on the part of employees and about the benefits that employers derive from it. A look at the legal regulations and the advantages and disadvantages.

Who is entitled to educational leave?

Educational leave is a legal right for employees to take five days of special leave for personal training. The two-year entitlement can also be combined, allowing employees to take ten days of educational leave at a time. Employees can choose the type of continuing education they want; it does not have to have anything to do with their actual job. Most of the time it is mindfulness training, yoga courses, language trips or courses on political education. The company releases the employees during the educational leave and continues to pay their wages. Only in Saxony and Bavaria is there no legal entitlement to educational leave.

What are the advantages of educational leave for employees?

Educational leave is prevention work, argues at least founder Lara Körber. Together with Anian Schmitt and Sven Regenhardt, she launched "Bildungsurlauber" in 2020, a platform through which employees can find and book certified educational leave. "Especially in the start-up culture, people can burn out quickly because they have a lot of responsibility and have to overcome challenges every day," she says. According to a DAK study, 19 percent of all days lost in 2021 were due to mental illness. The average duration of illness was 39.2 days. Even more people were affected by diseases of the musculoskeletal system, for example back pain.

Because of the high absenteeism, it is particularly worthwhile for companies to invest in prevention - this is where educational leave comes into play. "Educational leave gives employees there the opportunity to decide for themselves what they need right now." For example, the software developer with back problems can learn exercises in a five-day yoga course that can relieve the strain on his back in everyday life. The manager can breathe a sigh of relief after working overtime before a launch in a mindfulness training course and find out how she can create islands of relaxation for herself even in stressful phases. But educational leave can also prevent being overwhelmed by new tasks: For example, the new team leader can use her educational leave for leadership training.

What added value does educational leave bring to a start-up?

The respective federal states only certify courses as educational leave if they fulfill a certain number of hours and bring added professional value. "This added value can also occur in the medium term, for example through mental and physical health or through added social value," Körber explains.

Educational leave also allows employees to spend five days intensively studying a topic of their choice. They can then contribute the new content-related impetus on topics such as sustainability or digitization to the brainstorming for the new product, for example. Employees could also share their experiences from the educational leave with their colleagues. "If you've taken part in a seminar on nonviolent communication, for example, you can implement what you've learned in the team afterwards and thus create a lot of added value for the startup as well," says Körber.

What does educational leave cost for startups and employees?

Companies give their employees paid time off for educational leave. All other costs are borne by the employees themselves. Although employees miss five to ten days of paid work, educational leave can also be an economic advantage. Especially at the beginning, start-ups often cannot afford a company health management system - for example, seminars on stress management organized by the company at its own expense. Paid leave can therefore be a favorable option for company health prevention. Many of the courses on physical and mental health are recognized by health insurers as preventive courses and are therefore eligible for funding. This also reduces the costs for employees.

When can founders reject the application for educational leave?

There are some special regulations through which companies can reject the application for educational leave. These are regulated in the respective state laws. In Berlin, for example, companies do not have to approve educational leave until they have twenty or more employees. In almost all federal states, the company can reject the application if employees are urgently needed for ongoing operations. For start-ups in particular, this could be a reason to exclude educational leave from the outset.

Should start-ups actively inform their employees about educational leave?

A recent survey of 1,000 employees by Forsa and Haufe Akademie shows that 87 percent of respondents up to the age of 35 consider professional development to be important. Advertising educational leave could therefore be an advantage that helps startups stand out from the competition. "When it comes to their employee benefits, companies always talk about the typical foosball table and fruit basket. How about: We offer you the yoga mat instead of the mate?", Körber suggests. "This outward message is a great opportunity for employer branding, especially for growing startups." In this way, startups could give potential applicants a glimpse of an appreciative corporate culture that doesn't neglect the needs of employees.

Conclusion

The right to educational leave is still very unknown among companies and employees. Yet it is also worthwhile for start-ups to actively inform employees about this possibility. Educational leave is an investment in the physical and mental health of employees, and the added value is realized in the medium to long term. It is initially less expensive than company health management. Further training is also becoming increasingly important for employees. Start-ups that advertise educational leave can thus set themselves apart from competitors.