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UPDATED OCT 22, 2026馃憢 Welcome to Toku. Toku is your Employer of Record (EOR) in Germany. We employ you through the appropriate local Toku entity and manage the compliance, HR, payroll, and benefits administration connected to your employment. Your day-to-day work, goals, and role direction continue to come from the organization you support.
Your employment at a glance
| Item | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Payroll cycle | Monthly. Toku runs one payroll per month in Germany. |
| Standard working week | 37.5-40 hours (statutory maximum 48) |
| Probation period | Determined by the applicable collective agreement, commonly 6 months |
| Annual leave | 20 days statutory minimum; 25-30 days is typical practice |
馃搫 Your signed employment agreement governs your individual terms, including pay, working hours, probation, notice, and any custom arrangements. Mandatory local law also applies. If this guide and your agreement appear different, contact Toku before relying on the summary.
Pay schedule and payroll changes
You are normally paid monthly, on the last business day of the month. The standard monthly cutoff for payroll changes is generally the 10th, but the exact cutoff can vary by country and organization. Check the Toku: 2026 and 2027 Payroll Calendar and Deadlines or contact Toku before relying on a specific date.
You will receive a payslip for each payroll cycle showing your gross pay, required deductions, and net pay. Keep your bank, tax, and personal information current in Toku, and notify us promptly if anything changes.
Your employment terms and probation
- Toku issues a compliant local employment agreement for every hire, covering all terms required by the Evidence Act.
- Indefinite-term contracts are the default. Fixed-term contracts without objective justification are limited to two years (maximum three renewals), and the fixed-term clause must be agreed in writing before work begins.
- Probation is determined by the applicable collective agreement, commonly 6 months (also the statutory maximum). During probation, the notice period is 2 weeks.
Working hours and overtime
Your normal working hours are stated in your signed employment agreement and may vary by role, schedule, or applicable collective agreement. Toku does not expect routine overtime. Do not work overtime or additional hours unless your manager has approved them in advance. Any overtime or additional-hours treatment follows your signed agreement and mandatory local law.
Leave entitlements
| Leave | Entitlement | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Annual leave | 20 days statutory minimum on a 5-day week; 25-30 days typical, at full pay | Employer |
| Sick leave | Up to 6 weeks per illness at 100%; then up to 78 weeks at about 70% of gross | Employer, then statutory health insurance |
| Maternity leave | 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after birth at 100% of net salary | Health insurance plus employer top-up (largely reimbursed) |
| Parental leave (Elternzeit) | Up to 3 years per parent per child, unpaid; state parental allowance of 65-67% of net income (capped at EUR 1,800/month) for up to 14 months combined | Government |
| Child sick leave | 15 days per parent per child per year (30 for single parents) at about 90% of net | Statutory health insurance |
| Special leave (marriage, bereavement) | Typically 1-3 days per contract or collective agreement, at full pay | Employer |
Leave should generally be used within the calendar year, with carryover into the first quarter of the next year when work or personal reasons prevented taking it. Parental allowance is state-funded, so extended parental leave adds no direct salary cost to you.
鈩癸笍 Your employment agreement, Toku HRIS leave balance, and applicable local rules determine your exact entitlement. Contact Toku if the information shown in your account does not match your agreement or this guide.
Public holidays in 2026
Germany observes 9 nationwide public holidays in 2026. Individual federal states add between one and four more (Bavaria has the most at 13), so your total depends on where they live.
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day |
| April 3 | Good Friday |
| April 6 | Easter Monday |
| May 1 | Labour Day |
| May 14 | Ascension Day |
| May 25 | Whit Monday |
| October 3 | Day of German Unity |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
| December 26 | Second Christmas Day |
Statutory benefits
Statutory : Germany's five-pillar social insurance system covers statutory pension, health insurance (medical, hospital, prescriptions, and dental), unemployment insurance, long-term care insurance, and employer-funded accident insurance.
Additional Toku benefits
Toku maintains a dedicated benefits guide for Germany. Review Toku: Germany Benefits for current coverage, eligibility, enrollment, and support information. The benefits guide is the source of truth for Toku-provided supplemental benefits in this country.
Stablecoin payroll and token grants
Where permitted by local law and enabled for your organization, Toku can support token grant administration and allow you to elect to receive a portion of your net pay in stablecoins. Availability depends on your country, your organization's program, and your individual compensation arrangements. These options are not guaranteed components of every employment package.
If stablecoin payroll is available to you, see Toku: Stablecoin Payroll Set Up. For token grant questions, use the Toku: Contact our Team for Support! to reach the Token Grant Administration team.
Annual tax documents
Your Lohnsteuerbescheinigung records annual pay and tax deductions. The employer's electronic tax reporting deadline is generally the end of February following the calendar year; the employee copy must be provided within a reasonable period. Expect the copy in Toku Documents as part of that year-end process, and contact us if it is missing. February is the tax reporting deadline, not a separate fixed statutory employee-delivery date. Income Tax Act 搂41b 路 Tax Code 搂93c.
Leaving Toku: resigning
Give Toku formal notice
Send your resignation letter to Toku, your legal employer, by uploading it to Documents in your Toku account or emailing [email protected]. Also notify your manager. Include your proposed final working day and follow the notice period in your employment agreement and any mandatory local formalities.
Your offboarding documents
Toku sends your formal offboarding/termination documentation through DocuSign and uploads it to your Toku Documents. Review it for your confirmed end date, applicable terms and final-pay arrangements. Toku does not send a separate personalized general offboarding email. Mandatory local certificates may arrive separately from Toku or the local payroll provider, and any required original-document process still applies.
German resignation notices require a signed paper original delivered to the legal employer. Uploading or emailing a scan informs Toku but does not replace that legal notice; contact us to arrange delivery. Civil Code 搂623.
At exit, you are entitled to an Arbeitszeugnis employment reference and a holiday certificate (Urlaubsbescheinigung) showing leave already granted or paid out. Request a qualified reference if you want it to cover performance and conduct. If you or the employment agency request an Arbeitsbescheinigung, Toku arranges electronic submission to the agency, which sends you a copy. Reference requirements 路 Holiday certificate 路 Employment agency certificate.
Benefits after leaving
Your benefits are managed by external insurers and providers. Check their emails and member portal or app for coverage-status updates and any action required. Contact the relevant provider directly to confirm your exact coverage end date, any continuation or conversion options, and deadlines; do not assume every provider will send a separate cancellation email. Pension contributions and associated insurance may change when you leave, but leaving does not automatically cancel your pension savings. Review the benefits guide for the plans relevant to you.
Contact your health insurer about your insurance status and contributions after leaving. Ending employment does not mean your personal statutory or private health insurance simply disappears.
Access and support after you leave
You will continue to have access to your Toku account and documents after your employment ends, including tax documents issued later. For help updating your email address, password or 2FA, or for anything unclear in your offboarding documents, email [email protected].
How to get help
Toku is your employer and your first point of contact for employment support. For payroll, payslips, statutory deductions, or payroll tax documents, email [email protected]. For benefits support, email [email protected]. For leave, employment documents, immigration, or other employment matters, use Toku: Contact our Team for Support! to reach the right team.
Important
This guide is a general summary and does not replace your signed employment agreement, Toku policies, benefit plan documents, or applicable law. Your exact entitlements may vary based on your work location, tenure, role, collective agreement, or individual terms. Where there is a conflict, the applicable law and binding employment documents control.
Last reviewed September 2026. Source: 馃嚛馃嚜 Hiring in Germany.