🛠️ One-euro jobs (work opportunities)
In brief
“One-euro jobs” – legally called work opportunities (Arbeitsgelegenheiten) – are additional activities in the public interest that are neutral as to competition, mostly with non-profit providers or municipalities. They are not regular employment but an integration measure; in return you receive, in addition to Grundsicherungsgeld, an additional-expenses allowance.
Step by step
- Receive the assignmentWithin the limits of reasonableness, the Jobcenter assigns you a specific work opportunity, usually as part of the cooperation plan.
- Have the requirements checkedThe activity must be additional, in the public interest and neutral as to competition – if this is not the case, you should raise it.
- Carry out the activityYou carry out the activity, as a rule for a limited period and for a limited number of hours.
- Receive the additional-expenses allowanceFor the activity you receive an allowance per hour worked on top of the standard need, which is not counted as income.
Deadlines
- Refusing an assigned work opportunity without good cause can be treated as a breach of duty and lead to a reduction under § 31a SGB II – so participation is only conditionally “voluntary” in the narrower sense.
- The amount of the additional-expenses allowance is not fixed as a set euro amount in the law but is made concrete as an “appropriate allowance” by practice (often by municipality or depending on the provider) – amounts between €1 and €2.50 per hour circulating in advice texts are practice values, not statutory requirements, and were not officially verified in this research.
- A work opportunity must not displace regular jobs (requirement of additionality and neutrality as to competition) – you can raise doubts about this with the Jobcenter or an advice centre.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Requirements (§ 16d SGB II)
Work opportunities must be additional (they must not replace regular jobs that already exist or are planned for the future), be in the public interest and be designed to be neutral as to competition, that is, not disadvantage private businesses.
Duration
The assignment is in principle limited to 24 months within 5 years; in justified exceptional cases an extension of up to 12 further months is possible.
Additional-expenses allowance
For participation an “appropriate allowance” per hour is paid, which is not counted against the standard need. The law names no nationwide euro amount; in practice, values between €1 and €2.50 per hour circulate, which, however, are not part of the statutory text but provider-dependent administrative practice – before a concrete commitment, the amount actually agreed should be asked about with the provider concerned.
Legal protection
Assignment to a work opportunity is made by administrative act and can be challenged separately with an objection (Widerspruch), for example if the statutory requirements (additionality, public interest, neutrality as to competition) are not met in the individual case.
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