As an employer, you can give long-term unemployed people the chance to make a fresh start in working life by creating suitable jobs in your company and actively supporting your new employees during their induction.
The aim is to enable your new employee to participate in working life and to keep him or her in your company for as long as possible after the end of the subsidy.
To this end, the job center can reimburse you for a large part of your wage costs during the first 5 years, and will also finance coaching and provide you with a budget for any necessary further training.
Wage subsidy for up to 5 years
The job center can grant you subsidies for wage costs for a maximum of 5 years. The wage cost subsidy is paid monthly and amounts to
- 100 percent in the 1st and 2nd funding year,
- 90 percent in the 3rd funding year,
- 80 percent in the 4th year, and
- in the 5th subsidy year 70 percent
of the minimum wage under the Minimum Wage Act. If you as an employer are bound by a collective agreement or church labor law regulations or refer to a relevant collective agreement, your subsidy will be calculated on the basis of the wages actually paid.
The subsidy also covers your employee's coverage with a flat-rate social insurance contribution (except: contribution to unemployment insurance).
You do not receive a subsidy for one-time payments, such as Christmas bonuses or vacation pay.
Employment support (coaching)
In addition, the Job Center will cover the costs of coaching for a maximum of 5 years, which supports your formerly long-term unemployed employees, for example, with problems at the new workplace, in the family or with difficulties in organizing everyday life. This makes it easier for your new employees to get used to everyday work after a long period of unemployment.
The supported employees should participate in this coaching. In principle, the coaching can take place within or outside working hours, at the workplace or at another location. However, you must release your sponsored employee from work for the coaching during the first year of the sponsorship; in the case of coaching during working hours, you must continue to pay the employee's salary. Coaching needs are determined on an individual basis. Your business concerns will be taken into account when scheduling the coaching.
The coaching is designed in such a way that it also takes into account the special requirements that you or your company place on the personnel. However, the professional training is not part of the coaching.
The coach will involve you if necessary and will be available to you as a contact person for questions concerning the supported employee.
Further training costs
The Jobcenter will also reimburse you up to EUR 3,000 for necessary further training (course costs) during employment, but also for in-house training. In addition, your employees can be reimbursed for additional travel costs and additional costs for childcare incurred during further training.
The decision on whether to subsidize further training costs is at the discretion of the Job Center. You do not have a legal claim to the subsidy.
Internship
The subsidy provides that internships outside your company with another employer can also be completed within the subsidized employment relationship.