Education Leave Abolished: New Model of Further Education Allowance Adopted

Before the vote, individual amendments to the bill were made through a change request to address objections raised during the review process. However, the tightened access criteria for educational leave remain unchanged. The tightening concerns, for example, higher temporal and content requirements for the chosen further education measure and stronger controls. Additionally, employees must have been employed with the current employer for at least twelve (instead of six) months before starting the further education period, with exceptions still available for seasonal businesses. A direct connection of educational leave to parental leave is no longer possible.

With the new further education allowance, the government primarily aims to reach lower-qualified individuals. For budgetary reasons, expenditures are also limited to 150 million euros annually. The new regulations are set to come into force on January 1, 2026.

(APA/Red.)

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