The University of Cologne (UoC) is a public university, which means that all salaries and wages are based on a pay scale  subject to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the Public Service. North Rhine-Westphalia’s State Salaries and Pensions Office (Landesamt für Besoldung und Versorgung – LBV) is responsible for paying the salaries and pensions of all UoC employees. 
Tenured professors are hired as civil servants and subject to civil service law. Most other academic and non-academic staff are public service employees, independent of whether they have a permanent or fixed-term work contract. 
In the public sector pay scale, there are categories denoting the type of work and the required qualifications (beginning with an E), and there are levels specifying previous years of experience in a relevant professional field (1-6). All salaries are indicated before tax. 
 

There is no fixed number of sick leave days that employees in Germany are entitled to. As a rule, a medical certificate indicating the first day of illness is mandatory when on sick leave. The University however regularly demands this certificate for a sick leave of more than three calender days only. If you expect to be sick for a shorter time, it will sufficeto inform your supervisor and the personnel management. Employees are not required to reveal the reason for their sickness to their employer. The medical certificate that is submitted to the employer also does not contain information about the illness. Please find all regulations concerning sick leave at the UoC following this link. 

With few exceptions, a state health care plan is mandatory for all employees in Germany. There are many public health care insurances that employees can choose from. They all offer the same basic services, but there are some differences in, e.g., extras for the promotion of health-conscious behaviour or special prevention courses. There is free choice of doctor / health care provider. Only few doctors in Germany only accept private insurance. Employees can waive mandatory health care in favour of a private health care plan if they are above a certain income. However, it is generally not possible to return to public health insurance after waiving this right, so you should consider the pros and cons carefully. 
 

There are many differences between public and private health care plans, so if eligible make sure you do your research regarding the pros and cons of both. In any case, you will not receive a work permit or be allowed to work without having a valid health insurance in Germany. There are some insurances that offer a temporary solution in order for you to get your visa/work permit, but make sure that they are valid in Germany, as there are certain private insurances that are NOT valid. Sometimes, you may be able to get in touch with a regular health insurance, and they will allow you to be insured on a voluntary basis. This will allow you to seamlessly transition into having them as your main insurer after starting work.

Employees earn pension points and are eligible for a monthly state pension payment at the end of their professional lives if they worked in Germany for any amount of time. Pensions age is generally 67. All employees receive a personal identification number (like a social security number) from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (Federal Pension Insurance).

Eligibility to a pension may also exist (subject to review by the responsible authority) following incapacitation after a work accident. A temporary pension is also paid if, despite medical efforts, a person’s health does not allow them to work for a certain period of time. In this case, the Federal Pension Insurance also offers rehabilitation benefits. 

The University of Cologne offers an additional pension plan for public service employees (VBL-Zusatzrente). Every month, a fixed amount is automatically deducted from your income for this plan.
 

Full-time employees in the collective wage agreement of the federal states in Germany generally have 30 days (six weeks) of paid vacation. For part-time employment that leaves out certain days,, the number of days is reduced accordingly to amount to a free period of six weeks. In addition, there are several public holidays spread out over the year. North Rhine-Westphalia currently has eleven public holidays that are free independent of the 30 days paid vacation. The collective wage agreement also insures that Christmas Evening and the last day of the year are free.  

Please contact HR-Management if you have any specific questions regarding your prospective employment at the University of Cologne. Find all contacts and topcis from a to z under this link.
 

In order to be allowed to work in Germany, you will need a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel). This is issued by the respective Immigration Office (Ausländeramt)ְ depending on where you live. In order to apply for a permit, you will need a valid address in Germany. Please bear in mind that there is a housing shortage in Cologne, so it is important that you look for a place to live asap. In addition, appointments with the Immigration Office can – in the worst case – take months. So, it is worth making an online appointment before entering the country in order to speed things up. Also, make sure that you find out which documents you need to provide. Generally, you will be asked to provide your passport, biometric photos (which can usually be taken at the office), job contract, education certificates, German language certificate, details about dependents including their documentation, proof of address in Germany and a valid health insurance. However, different offices may have different requirements. 

All citizens in Germany are required to register within two weeks of moving to a new address. This is done at the local Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt/Bürgeramt). You will be asked to provide various documents including your passport. There is also a shortage of appointments, so it is advisable to book this appointment online before arriving to Germany, once you know where you will be living. Please check online which documents are required. If you cannot keep with the two week requirement for lack of an open slot for an appointment, do not worry. As long as you make sure to schedule an appointment early, this will not be a problem. 

In certain cases, the Immigration Office will need permission from the Job Centre (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) in order to grant your permit. If so, you will be sent a form, which HR needs to fill out explaining what your role, salary, qualifications etc. are. This then needs to be submitted by the Immigration Office to the Job Centre, and you have to wait for their approval. It can sometimes take a few weeks for this to go through. In some cases, where the employee earns more than a specific sum, this can be waivered. For details of the salary thresholds, please check the website https://www.make-it-in-germany.com.

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In Germany, a church tax (Kirchensteuer) is paid to either the Catholic or Protestant Church only. You can opt out of this if you do not belong to either of those denominations. 

If you have any questions regarding the compatibility of work and family life (e.g. parental leave, children's sick days, leave because of relatives in need of long-term care), please contact our Dual Career & Family Support. Here you will find information on the legal basis for employees in the public sector as well as on regulations and processes at the University of Cologne.