{"id":2359,"date":"2026-03-12T11:53:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T10:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/haas-eschborn.de\/?p=2359"},"modified":"2026-03-30T11:10:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T09:10:14","slug":"special-leave-these-9-cases-you-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/haas-eschborn.de\/en\/sonderurlaub-diese-9-faelle-sollten-sie-kennen\/","title":{"rendered":"Special leave - You should know these 9 cases!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As an employee you have Entitlement to exemption<\/strong> or paid special leave<\/strong>. The death of a close relative, the illness of a child or your own wedding are the best-known cases. However, there are usually other options available to you. The German Civil Code (BGB), the Federal Leave Act (BUrlG), your employment contract or the applicable collective agreement oblige your employer to grant you special leave in various situations.<\/p>\r\n

In our legal tip, you can find out when you are entitled to paid leave from your job. We have addressed the most common cases.<\/p>\r\n
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Table of contents:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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  1. What is special leave?<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  2. When is a leave of absence paid?<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  3. What rules apply in the public sector?<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  4. Entitlement to special leave in the event of death \/ funeral<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  5. Entitlement to special leave for the birth of a child<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  6. Entitlement to special leave for a wedding<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  7. Legal entitlement to special leave for relocation?<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  8. Entitlement to special leave for childcare<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  9. Entitlement to special leave for club work<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  10. Entitlement to special leave for a doctor's appointment<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  11. Entitlement to special leave to look for a job<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  12. Entitlement to special leave to care for a relative<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n
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    Do you have questions about special leave?<\/p>\r\n
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    As experienced lawyers in employment law, we are at your side. We look forward to hearing from you for comprehensive advice.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    <\/i> 06173 - 318 170<\/span><\/a><\/p>\r\n

    <\/i> info@haas-eschborn.de<\/span><\/a><\/p>\r\n

    <\/i> Rudolf-Diesel-Str. 5, 65760 Eschborn near Frankfurt<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\tTo the contact form<\/a><\/p>\r\n
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    1 What is special leave?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
    \r\n30.03.2026<\/span>\r\n
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    Most employees understand this to mean an exemption from their work obligation for a specific reason while continuing to receive their salary. In legal terms and according to the wording, the term \"special leave\" actually refers to an entitlement that exists apart from normal vacation leave in accordance with \u00a7\u00a7 1, 11 of the Federal Vacation Act (BUrlG).<\/p>\r\n

    We would like to focus on two important questions here:<\/p>\r\n

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    1. As an employee, do you have the option of refusing to work?<\/li>\r\n
    2. Do you receive your regular pay from your employer during this time?<\/li>\r\n <\/ol>\r\n

      Employees are obliged to carry out the contractually regulated activities under their employment contract. However, it is possible to stay away from work and refuse to do so. This applies if the work has become unreasonable for you due to exceptional personal circumstances. In this case, the interests of the employer and the interests of the employee must be weighed up. In many of these cases, employees are not entitled to continued payment of their salary. This is why this is often referred to as unpaid leave of absence. There are numerous possible constellations for a leave of absence in which the employment relationship remains in place but there is no entitlement to continued payment of salary. In the following, we will concentrate on the cases of paid special leave. Only in these exceptional cases does the employee have the option of refusing to work and still being paid regularly.<\/p> \r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n


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      2 When is a leave of absence paid?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
      \r\n30.03.2026<\/span>\r\n
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      The entitlement to paid special leave for employees is regulated in Section 616 of the German Civil Code (BGB). It exists if the employee is unable to fulfill their duties within the scope of the employment relationship through no fault of their own, temporarily or for personal reasons. These statutory claims against the employer do not apply if you are ill! <\/strong>The duration of the absence must not be of significance for the employment relationship. These are therefore temporary, isolated or one-off exceptional situations that can justify special leave. However, in order to ensure a certain breadth of interpretation here, the legislator deliberately chose the wording \"temporarily prevented\" in Section 616 BGB.<\/p>\r\n

      The provisions of Section 616 BGB can be regulated more precisely by other agreements that define the employment relationship in more detail. Special leave must therefore also<\/p>\r\n