Yoga BLOG

Employees in Germany are entitled to five to ten days of special leave per year for further education. The great thing is that yoga seminars are also recognized as educational leave. Brief overview: What is educational leave? In almost all German states – except Bavaria and Saxony – employees are entitled to up to five days of paid special leave per year, officially designated as educational leave. Recognized professional development courses. During educational leave, your salary continues as normal; you only have to cover the seminar costs yourself. Depending on which federal state you work in, you can even combine up to ten days of leave per year. In many German states, you are free to choose the subject matter of a continuing education course, as long as the seminar is officially recognized as educational leave. And the selection is vast: in addition to language courses or traditional professional training, topics such as climate protection, political education, and digitalization are also included. Similarly, courses focusing on mental and physical health are officially recognized as educational leave by the German states – for example, yoga or stress management seminars. All seminars can take place anywhere in the world. Why is yoga considered educational leave? Chronic stress at work is no longer an exception. Deadlines, constant availability, and high expectations lead to tension, sleep problems, or even exhaustion for many employees. Without stress management strategies, not only does health suffer, but also professional performance. This is precisely where educational leave comes in: seminars focusing on mental and physical health are officially recognized because they ensure long-term employability. Yoga plays a special role in this – it combines movement, breath, and mindfulness, thus working on several levels simultaneously. Those who learn to deal with stress more calmly through yoga not only strengthen themselves, but also improve their teamwork skills, concentration, and interactions with customers or colleagues. Furthermore, back pain is one of the most common reasons for sick leave – health is therefore no longer a private matter. Yoga strengthens muscles, improves posture and prevents pain – especially in physically demanding professions or desk jobs that force employees to sit for long periods. Applying for educational leave – here's how Many employees hesitate to apply for educational leave because they think it's complicated. In fact, you only need to follow three steps: Check your eligibility: In most German states, you are entitled to five days of educational leave per year, provided you have been employed at the company for at least six months. The educational leave check provides a quick legal overview in 30 seconds. . Select a seminar: Find a seminar that is officially recognized as educational leave by the ministry in the federal state where you work. Important: Each federal state certifies different seminars – you can only apply for educational leave for seminars officially recognized as such in your federal state. Submit your application: Submit the application, along with the official confirmation of seminar accreditation (which you will receive directly from the provider), to your HR department. Depending on the federal state, you must do this between four and nine weeks before the seminar begins. If you comply with the deadlines that apply in your federal state and the seminar is recognized, your application may only be rejected for a few reasons – for example, urgent operational reasons or if colleagues have already applied for vacation at that time.