Employment Conditions

Remuneration for university staff covered by collective agreements is based on the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Public Service of the Federal States (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst der Länder – TV-L).

The basic salary and progression levels within the individual pay grades are regulated in Annex B to the TV-L. What this may mean for you can be viewed using the so-called salary calculator (Entgeltrechner).

These and other collective-agreement regulations can be found, among other places, on the website of the Collective Bargaining Association of the Federal States (Tarifgemeinschaft der Länder).

Professors are paid according to the so-called W salary scale (W2). In addition, there are performance-related salary components. If they are civil servants (Beamte), the salary calculator (Bezügerechner) provides an initial overview.

HRW offers:

• comprehensive onboarding
• a wide range of professional development opportunities
• coaching for managers
• an open and constructive feedback culture

HRW offers:

• flexible working hours within the framework of our flexitime arrangement
• full-time, part-time, and near-full-time working models
• hybrid working within the framework of our service agreement

Pursuant to Section 21 TV-L, employees are entitled each calendar year to paid annual leave. For a five-day working week, annual leave entitlement is 30 working days per calendar year.

Where part-time work is performed, leave entitlement is reduced accordingly.

Annual leave must be taken in the current calendar year. It may be taken in parts. However, a continuous period of at least two weeks should be aimed for.

In addition, pursuant to Section 208 (1) of Book IX of the German Social Code (Sozialgesetzbuch Neunter Teil – SGB IX), severely disabled persons are entitled to five additional paid days of leave per leave year. In the case of part-time employment, the additional leave entitlement is reduced accordingly.

Universities and research institutions compete nationally and internationally for the best minds—both with industry and within academia. They can only succeed in this competition if they consistently offer good employment conditions. (Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia)

The agreement on good employment conditions for university staff includes, among other things, provisions on the transfer of employees covered by collective agreements, probationary periods when moving between universities under the sponsorship of the state, part-time work, and fixed-term employment.

Occupational pension provision for employees covered by collective agreements is anchored in Section 25 TV-L. Details are set out in the collective agreement on occupational pension provision for public-sector employees (Tarifvertrag Altersversorgung – ATV) as amended from time to time.

Further information can be found, for example, on the information portal tailored to public-sector employees in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (German Act on Fixed-Term Contracts in Academia) provides the framework for fixed-term employment in academia.

Since 2007, the Act has regulated how employment contracts for academic and artistic staff at public universities and research institutions may be limited in duration, which requirements must be met, and what the limits to fixed-term employment are. In doing so, it takes account of the specific characteristics of academic working environments by providing special rules on fixed-term contracts in addition to general employment law.
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(Federal Ministry of Education and Research)

HRW has therefore adopted a qualification concept for its academic staff (not only) with this in mind.

An overview of the provisions of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.