Your employment at Zenjob

Your jobs at Zenjob take place within the framework of temporary employment. Learn how this employment relationship works and what advantages it has for you.

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A young man is working as a replenisher at Zenjob. His employment at Zenjob takes place within the framework of short-term work.

Temporary employment explained

  • Talent = temporary worker

    Our Talents sign a general agreement with Zenjob during their onboarding, enabling them to work for our partner companies besides their studies.

  • Zenjob = supplier

    As a temp agency, we connect companies with temp workers. We handle all employer obligations for our Talents (e.g. wage payment and registration with social security).

  • Company = user

    We supply our partner companies with our Talents so they can work there. Our Talents sign a temporary work contract for each job directly in their app.

Short-term employment vs working student jobs

Students can work short-term or as working students (Werkstudenten) at Zenjob. There are fundamental differences between these two types of employment in Germany.

  • Short-term employment

    • Work one-day jobs at any of our partner companies
    • Sign a temporary work contract for each job
    • Flexible planning: decide when, how often, and where you work
    • Work up to 70 days per general agreement or calendar year

  • Working student job

    • Work for 3-18 months at one of our partner companies
    • Work 16-20 h/week (up to 40 h/week during semester break if the company agrees)
    • Coordinate your working times with our partner company
    • Earn a predictable, steady salary

How short-term employment works in Germany

Short-term employment is a type of marginal part-time employment. In contrast to a minijob with an earnings limit (currently €520 per month), short-term employment does not have an earnings limit but a time limit: it must be limited to a maximum of 3 months or 70 working days in a calendar year. It may not be carried out on an occupational basis.

The image shows a young woman who works as a warehouse helper at Zenjob.

The advantages of short-term employment

Short-term employment with Zenjob offers some advantages over a minijob with an earnings limit (i.e. €520 minijob).

  • There is no earnings limit.

  • You do not pay social security contributions.

  • You can decide when and how often you work.

  • You can try out different jobs and companies.

Specifics of short-term employment

  • 70-day-rule

    70 working days

    Short-term employment is legally limited to 70 working days per calendar year or general agreement. Every shift counts as a working day, regardless of its duration. Note: The 70 days include all working days from your short-term jobs.

    If you reach the maximum number of working days, or if your general agreement expires or you terminate it, you must take a minimum two-month break before you are allowed to start a new general agreement. If you reach 70 working days in a calendar year, you may not start a new general agreement that same calendar year.

  • Taxes in short-term employment

    Short-term employment is generally subject to income tax. Your tax depends on your tax class, whether you are entitled to a child allowance (Kinderfreibetrag) and the so-called registration period.

How working student jobs work at Zenjob

Our working student jobs are a good option for students who want a regular income. You also sign a general agreement with Zenjob and do your actual work at one of our partner companies. Unlike our short-term employment, you work exclusively for one company and commit to a fixed weekly schedule.

You can find our working student jobs marked as such in our app.

Two students discuss their employment at Zenjob on their way to university drinking a coffee-to-go.

Overview of working student jobs

  • Contract duration:

    3-18 months

  • Weekly working hours:

    Lecture period: 16-20 hours
    Semester break: Up to 40h/week

  • Tip:

    Select short-term employment when registering to see working student jobs and short-term jobs in your app.

Which tax class does your employment with Zenjob fall into?

  • 1

    Tax class 1

    Single persons automatically receive tax class 1 for their main employment. This tax class has a basic tax-free allowance of €10,908 per year (as of 2023). Single, separated or widowed students without any other employment besides Zenjob usually register with this tax class.

  • 2

    Tax class 2

    If you are a student who is a single parent without any other employment besides Zenjob, you may be able to register for tax class 2. Please note that you and your child must live together in the same flat and that another adult may not live in that same household. You must also be entitled to child benefit (Kindergeld) or child allowance (Kinderfreibetrag) for your child.

  • 3

    Tax class 3

    Tax class 3 only applies to married couples in combination with tax class 5. Tax class 3 has lower tax deductions than tax classes 4 and 5. This combination only makes sense if one spouse earns significantly more than the other. The person with the higher salary chooses tax class 3, and the one with the lower salary chooses tax class 5.

  • 4

    Tax class 4

    Tax class 4 automatically applies to married couples if both spouses are fully liable to income tax and do not deliberately switch to tax classes 3 and 5. This tax class behaves like tax class 1 and is primarily intended for married couples with approximately the same income.

  • 5

    Tax class 5

    Tax class 5 applies to married couples in combination with tax class 3. There are comparatively high tax deductions in tax class 5. The combination only makes sense if both spouses have unequal incomes. The person with the higher salary chooses tax class 3, and the one with the lower salary chooses tax class 5.

  • 6

    Tax class 6

    Tax class 6 applies to all persons who have several employers. The marital status is irrelevant. Tax class 6 has comparatively high tax deductions.

    If you are studying and have another part-time job or student job besides Zenjob, you can decide which of the two should be included in tax class 1-5 and which in tax class 6.

Tips for your tax deductions at Zenjob

The so-called registration period (Anmeldezeitraum) plays an important role in determining how much income tax you pay. It refers to the number of days between your first and last shift in a calendar month. The tax office uses the registration period to estimate your average daily wage projected over the year to determine your monthly income tax.

Calculation

Monthly wage / registration period x 365 days = theoretical annual wage

For short-term employment, there are a few tips on how to keep your income tax contributions as low as possible.

  • Example 1:

    Two shifts worked in a month

    1st shift on 05.07. – wage €100

    2nd shift on 25.07. – wage €100

    €200 / 20 days x 365 days = €3,650 projected annual wage

  • Example 2:

    One shift worked in a month

    1st shift on 05.07. – Wage €100

    No 2nd shift

    €100 / 1 day x 365 days = €36,500 projected annual wage

  • Tip 1

    Avoid working only one shift in a month.

  • Tip 2

    Work one shift at the beginning of the month and another at the end if possible. The higher the registration period, the lower your monthly income tax deductions.

  • Tip 3

    If your annual income is below the basic tax-free allowance (€10,908 for single persons in 2023), you can get a full or partial refund of your income tax by filing a tax return.

FAQ

Any other questions?

Learn what our requirements are for using our service, how to sign up at Zenjob, and how to master your first job.

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