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Which is better: freelance VS employed by a school?

Author	Comment
Annieross	Which is better: freelance VS employed by a school?	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1 (Fri, Apr 24, 2009 01:21) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None Hi there, I am currently seeking work as an English teacher in Germany, preferably Berlin. I am aware that most schools seem to employ teachers on a freelance basis. However, I think I may be offered a job by an international school that would employ me directly. My question is quite simple: if I get the opportunity to be employed directly, is this better than working freelance? From looking at previous threads, it would seem that freelance work is a little more insecure but are there other upsides to freelancing eg: is the salary better? Speaking of which, there seems to be a lot of info on what freelancers might earn but I can't find much info on what a teacher being employed directly might expect to earn per 45 mins -any suggestions? Any advice/opinions would be greatly appreciated. :-)
john		#1	[-]
Posts: 1140 (Fri, Apr 24, 2009 19:16) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I would strongly recommend accepting a job as an employee a) if the position pays enough to keep the wolves from the door and b) you don't have to work all hours. As an employee, half the pension and health insurance contributions are paid by your employer, your monthly income is guaranteed, you are entitled to at least 24 days paid holiday, you will also get paid if you are sick and you probably won't need to hire an accountant to sort out your tax return every year. Most freelancers here don't earn very much if they work through schools and they certainly don't have any of the benefits mentioned above. Hope that helps.
Annieross		#2	[-]
Posts: 2 (Mon, Apr 27, 2009 13:37) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	John, Many thanks for your reply, all very useful information to know. Navigating the German system of working, benefits, tax etc. is really difficult as a first-timer, and even moreso when you're not actually in the country! So information from people on the ground is always appreciated.
raDAr		#3	[-]
Posts: 95 (Wed, Apr 29, 2009 14:07) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	For a new teacher, an employed position is better as it offers guarantees, rights and security. A freelancer has to look for his own courses, organise his own taxes and insurances and gets no pay when he is sick or on holiday. The hourly rate for an employee is however lower of course as the employer has to pay holidays, public holidays, sickness benefit as well as a big part of your social costs on top of the hourly rate. That said, not many language schools offer proper jobs to trainers. At least not new ones. The ones I know generally take their obligations more seriously than those that don't. John, by the way, your statement about 24 days holiday is incorrect. Based on a 6 day working week you would be right, but for a 5 day week, the minimum holiday allowance is 20 days. Gesetzlicher Mindesturlaub Nach § 3 Abs. 1 BUrlG beträgt der gesetzliche Mindesturlaub 24 Werktage. Weitere bundesgesetzliche Bestimmungen zur Dauer des Urlaubs finden sich in §§ 56 und 57 SeemannsG, § 125 SGB IX, § 19 JArbSchG und in § 17 BErzGG. In einem Tarifvertrag oder im Arbeitsvertrag kann ein höherer als der gesetzliche Mindesturlaub vereinbart werden (häufig), jedoch kein ungünstigerer (§ 13 Abs. 1 S. 1 BUrlG). Der gesetzliche Mindesturlaub ist bezogen auf eine 6-Tage-Woche. Bei einer anderen Verteilung der Wochenarbeitszeit ist der Anspruch im Dreisatz umzurechnen. Im Fall einer 5-Tage-Woche beträgt der gesetzliche Urlaubsanspruch daher umgerechnet 20 Arbeitstage. In allen Fällen entspricht er also vier Arbeitswochen. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesurlaubsgesetz#Die_Dauer_des_Urlaubs_.28.C2.A7.C2.A7_3.E2.80.936_BUrlG.29
john		#4	[-]
Posts: 1141 (Wed, Apr 29, 2009 19:04) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Thanks for correcting me there, Radar. The absolute minimum is, as you say, 20 days holiday, but I think most private language schools expect their teachers to be available on a Saturday, too. John
Annieross		#5	[-]
Posts: 3 (Thu, Apr 30, 2009 17:48) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Thanks to both of you for your responses. I was talking to the school today and they are offering me 1,660 gross per month for 30 hours (22 of which are contact hours). They also have 23 days paid holidays and pay for transport costs. However, they don't pay for sickness benefit or pension... John, you mentioned that they pay half of these costs... is this a statutory obligation, or just the norm? They said that pension/health combined is about 21% and that I would be tax exempt for two years but if I stay longer, would have to back pay two years' worth of tax at around 30%... Could someone please tell me if this is all correct and whether or not I should be looking for more? I am, of course, going to push for at least medical insurance but it would be great to know if they have any obligations that I don't know about... Thanks!
john		#6	[-]
Posts: 1144 (Fri, May 1, 2009 12:49) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Language schools normally have to pay 50% of your health insurance and pension contributions if you are an employee. However, as with most things in Germany, there are some exceptions. Some language schools (such as the Cambridge Institute here in Munich) employ teachers on two-year contracts on a rather complicated and relatively unknown exchange regulation for EFL teachers dating back to just after the war when there was a dearth of qualified English teachers here. If you work at such an institute, you can work under the conditions you've described above... but, and this is the big BUT, if you stay here longer than two years, you will be asked to pay those contributions in! Ouch! In other words, if you decide you want to stay here for longer than two years, make sure you have tucked enough money away to be able to pay those contributions. Last Edited By: john Fri, May 1, 2009 18:20. Edited 2 times.

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