Mandatory Safety Seminars and New Training-Cost Rules Kick In for German Businesses This July
29.06.2026 - 07:21:41 | boerse-global.de
Business owners insured under the Berufsgenossenschaft Holz und Metall (BGHM) are being called to compulsory safety seminars starting this month. A foundational course takes place in Saarbrücken in early July, with additional sessions scheduled through December. The training, covering basic occupational safety, is free for participants — but attendance is not optional.
The obligations don’t stop there. A broader set of regulations affecting how companies handle professional development costs also takes effect on 1 July 2026. The rules settle a persistent source of friction between management and staff: who pays for qualification measures and when.
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If an employer unilaterally orders a training course, the company must cover all expenses and grant the employee time off. The hours spent in training count as working time and must be compensated accordingly, explained labor-law specialist Alexander Bredereck in late June.
When the employee initiates the training, the situation flips. There is no automatic right to company funding. Workers typically have to finance the course themselves and complete it outside working hours — though a claim to educational leave may apply in certain cases.
Separate provisions support businesses that train people with disabilities. Employers can apply for subsidies on the monthly training allowance: generally 60 percent of the amount paid, rising to 80 percent for severely disabled trainees. In justified exceptional cases, the state may cover 100 percent of the cost. If the company hires the trainee after completion, an additional twelve-month subsidy kicks in at up to 70 percent of the salary. For trainees with disabilities, special rules also apply to the training allowance — it must at least match the legal minimum.
The 1 July 2026 date also marks an overhaul of Germany’s social-welfare code under SGB II. The basic welfare benefit known as Bürgergeld is being renamed Grundsicherungsgeld. In a strategic shift, taking up employment will now take priority over qualification programmes.
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Pressure on the federal government is mounting. Economist Monika Schnitzer, a member of the Council of Economic Experts, called for clear signals in late June, especially in pension and health policy. Billions in savings are under discussion for the healthcare system. Business representatives are demanding a cap on ancillary wage costs at 40 percent.
A proposal to exempt overtime premiums from tax — up to 25 percent of the base wage — remains stalled. Originally slated for the start of 2026, the measure has not been finalised. Full-time workers would benefit most; a significant share of part-time employees would see no advantage.
