Part-time employment; application by employees of the Free State of Bavaria

Employees of the Free State of Bavaria can apply for a reduction in working hours.

Reconciling family and career is becoming increasingly important due to changing social structures with regard to the care and upbringing of children. Due to demographic developments, however, caring for elderly relatives will also become increasingly important in the future. It is also in the interests of the Free State of Bavaria as an employer to support employees in their respective situations.

Civil servants can apply for a reduction in their working hours and the regulations on part-time work open up the possibility of better combining family and working life, reconciling individual working time wishes with operational requirements, promoting the return to work and gaining time for training and further education as well as voluntary work.

Employees who have been employed for more than six months are entitled to an indefinite or temporary reduction in working hours under the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act. The temporary reduction in working hours must last at least one year and may not exceed five years.

In addition, employees of the Free State of Bavaria are entitled to a reduction in working hours under a collective agreement if they actually look after or care for at least one child under the age of 18 or another relative in need of care according to a medical certificate and there are no urgent official or operational reasons to the contrary.

Further information on the application, scope and legal consequences can be found in the brochure "Teilzeitbeschäftigung und Beurlaubung für Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer des Freistaats Bayern".