What is a mini job in Germany?

The word is written mini job, mini-job or Minijob. The one-word spelling is the official German one; all three mean the same thing. In German law the arrangement is called a geringfügige Beschäftigung (§ 8 SGB IV), colloquially an Aushilfe, and the contract an Aushilfsvertrag.

The defining feature is the earnings ceiling: a mini job is employment whose regular monthly pay does not exceed €603. The limit is tied to the statutory minimum wage and moves with it, normally on 1 January.

When the work happens in a private household (cleaning, cooking, shopping, laundry, garden, childcare or care work), a separate and much simpler procedure applies: the Haushaltsscheck. Registration goes through the Minijob-Zentrale, the contributions are lower than for a commercial mini job, and part of the cost can be claimed against tax. This generator is built for exactly that case.

A mini job is a regular employment relationship with simplified payroll, not an informal side arrangement. The main points:

• Written terms: the essential terms must be handed over in writing by the first working day at the latest (Nachweisgesetz § 2). That document is what this generator produces.
• Minimum wage: it applies in a private household too, currently €13.90 per hour. The minimum wage and the earnings ceiling together determine how many hours a month are possible.
• Registration: the mini job is registered with the Minijob-Zentrale via the Haushaltsscheck. That is a separate step, and not one this generator performs for you.
• Paid leave: mini jobbers are entitled to paid annual leave as well, at least 4 weeks a year, pro-rated to the agreed working days (Bundesurlaubsgesetz).
• Continued pay: after four weeks of employment, pay continues during illness for up to 6 weeks, and public holidays are paid as well.
• Accident insurance: household helpers are covered by statutory accident insurance, which the Haushaltsscheck procedure handles along with the rest.

Mini jobs are subject to pension insurance by default. The employee may opt out, but has to apply in writing. Opting out lowers their own contribution and reduces their pension entitlement. If you choose the exemption in the wizard, the matching form is generated alongside the contract.

The wizard walks through the usual points of a household mini job contract in ten steps and produces a print-ready German contract, optionally with an English or Spanish courtesy translation.

Go to the contract generator