Employment status & tax classes of our jobs

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 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

There are four reasons why your general agreement with Zenjob might have expired.

1. One year has passed since your general agreement with Zenjob started.
The agreement automatically expires after one calendar year, and you must take a two-month break.

2. You have worked 70 days within your general agreement.
You have to wait two months before you can sign your next general agreement.

3. You have worked 70 days in the calendar year.
All working days are added up, regardless of whether they occurred within one or more general agreements. You can start your next general agreement from January 1st of the next calendar year.

4. You terminate the general agreement.
You do not have to observe any notice periods for this. After termination, you have to wait two months until you can sign your next general agreement.
The revolving door clause (Drehtürklausel) is designed to prevent a person from leaving a company and then being hired by that company as a temporary worker on worse terms within six months of leaving. It does not matter whether the employee was dismissed or resigned.

Therefore, when you register with Zenjob, we ask you to provide a list of all your employers for the last 6 months. During this period, you are not allowed to book jobs with these companies.
Yes, in principle, you can. There are no restrictions from our side. However, you should note that there are income limits when receiving BAföG. If you exceed these limits, your BAföG may be reduced. The income limit is currently €520 per month or €6,240 in the respective period of your BAföG entitlement (as of 2023). We recommend that you contact your advisor at the Studentenwerk for more information.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to use Zenjob if you receive social welfare benefits according to the Second Book of the Code of Social Law in Germany (Zweites Sozialgesetzbuch). This includes unemployment benefits such as Arbeitslosengeld 2, Hartz IV or Bürgergeld. Child benefit (Kindergeld) and BAföG are not affected by this regulation.

You may only take up short-term employment if it is not a regular occupation. Your income from short-term employment must be economically secondary for you. This is the case, for example, if you are doing short-term employment on the side (i.e. alongside full-time studies or a main job subject to social insurance contributions).
There is no universal earnings limit when you work through Zenjob as a short-term employee. That said, there are some limits that you may have to observe depending on your circumstance.

If you receive BAföG, you can earn a maximum of €520 per month without deduction. If you are registered under your family’s insurance (familienversichert), the income limit is €485 (as of 2023), or €520 for income from a minijob. If you have any questions or uncertainties, we recommend contacting your health insurance provider or Studentenwerk.

Also, note that the basic annual tax-free allowance for single persons is €10,908. If you want to remain tax-free at the end of the year, your total annual income must not exceed this amount.
If you work through Zenjob as a short-term employee, you may work a maximum of 70 days per calendar year or general agreement. Each shift counts as a working day, regardless of its duration. When you have reached the maximum number of working days within a general agreement or calendar year, you must take a two-month break before you are allowed to enter into a new general agreement.

Please remember that you must comply with the German Working Hours Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz) when planning your shifts. According to this law, the maximum working time is 8 hours per workday or 48 hours per week. You must also observe a statutory rest period of 11 hours between the end of your workday and the beginning of your next workday.

If you work at Zenjob as a working student (Werkstudent*in), you may work up to 20 hours per week during the lecture period. During the semester break, it is possible to work up to 40 hours per week if the partner company agrees.

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.

Our requirements Your onboarding Your first job

Jobs

Companies

About us

Contact

Your employment at Zenjob

Temporary employment explained

Talent = temporary worker

Zenjob = supplier

Company = user

Short-term employment vs working student jobs

Short-term employment

Working student job

How short-term employment works in Germany

The advantages of short-term employment

Specifics of short-term employment

70 working days

Taxes in short-term employment

How working student jobs work at Zenjob

Overview of working student jobs

Contract duration:

Weekly working hours:

Tip:

Which tax class does your employment with Zenjob fall into?

Tax class 1

Tax class 2

Tax class 3

Tax class 4

Tax class 5

Tax class 6

Tips for your tax deductions at Zenjob

Calculation

Example 1:

Example 2:

Tip 1

Tip 2

Tip 3

FAQ

Any other questions?