• Introduction
There is a lot of work-life balance, except in some specialties and some types of hospitals. We will mention them at the end. But generally speaking, the work-life balance is excellent compared to many countries worldwide. We will explain why.
A colleague of mine is from Jordan. His salary was in Jordan about 900 euros as a resident for neurosurgery. We calculated his salary in Germany, if he were to work the same number of hours per month, the salary was >5600 euros as a net salary. Plus 250 euros for each child he has.
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If you have any doubts or need more clarification, feel free to ask any time in the main group of Facharzt JETZT on Facebook and Telegram (all Telegram groups will be added as a folder). This article is a guide to enhance your understanding of the topic; however, it should not be your sole resource. Always consult official websites for the most accurate and up-to-date information (you can read our full disclaimer here).
• Good salary
Doctors in Germany have among the highest incomes worldwide. We explained the income of doctors in Germany in the following article:
• Working part-time
Because the salary is good, some doctors work less than 100% (How much they like! For example, 50%, 60%, 75%, 90%, etc.).
• Normal working hours
Doctors are legally expected to work 40 hours a week and maximally two weekends in a month. One in a university hospital is expected to work 42 hours a week, but unofficially, they could work up to 60–80 hours. Not paid! So, if you are searching for work-life balance, never work in university hospitals.
• Maximal number of working hours per week
We will search for the exact number, but it is about 56 hours maximally per week
• Number of vacations
They are about 30+/2 days per year. In some hospitals with a night shift system, 5 days extra.
• Sick leave days
Around 30 per year. Moreover, if your child is sick, you can take days off.
• Taking a sick leave
This is very easy. For up to 3 days, you can remain at home without getting a sick leave paper from a doctor. You call the secretary of your department and inform them that you are ill (no need to mention what) and are not coming to work.
• Money while being sick
While not working, you get your full salary and extra money paid for each day (around 80 to 400 euros). Details in this article:
• Parental leave
The wife gets 60% of her salary before delivery for up to two years. If the wife does not work, her husband can take a few months of paid leave (he also gets around 60% of his salary). The article about salaries has more details: link.
• Unemployment benefit (das Arbeitslosengeld)
If someone does not have a job anymore or their contract ends, they get 60% of their salary plus money for job interviews. The article about salaries also provides more details.
• Being forced to work extra shifts
Again, this is regulated by the law. However, doctors accept doing that in university hospitals (here’s a list of them) in some competitive specialties, like neurosurgery and heart surgery! Because they know it is not easy to get such positions, and they want to learn a lot.
• Avoiding night shifts
If you have a health reason, you cannot do night shifts. Then you are not allowed any longer to do them. But this is not good because it will cause more work for your colleagues. If you hate night shifts, you can choose specialties without them or later on have your clinic:
• Hospitals with little or no work-life balance
• Most university hospitals, but not all specialties in them
• Some private hospitals would instead take advantage of the doctors
• Big hospitals in big cities (🇩🇪 der Maximalversorger): Such hospitals have 1000–2000 beds, and usually, there is a lot of work and a lot of extra working hours
• Specialties with little or no work-life balance
• Neurosurgery
• Heart surgery
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Further readings:
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