Field notes
Reading a German employment offer after years of day rates
A day rate feels transparent: hours times rate equals invoice. A German permanent offer bundles base salary, employer social contributions, vacation, and sometimes Sonderzahlungen. Comparing them as equal euros per hour usually misleads.
Start with Jahresbrutto. Then list what the employer pays on top that never appeared on your freelance invoices—employer Krankenversicherung share, contributions toward pension and unemployment insurance. Those are not cash in your pocket, but they are real cost the company carries.
Working-time clauses matter as much as pay. Vertrauensarbeitszeit, core hours, and remote-work limits affect how closely the role resembles the autonomy you had as a freelancer. If travel or on-call duty is expected, ask how it is compensated before you sign.
Non-compete and confidentiality language can be broader than freelance NDAs. If a clause seems to block your former niche for a long period after leaving, raise it while goodwill is still high—during offer negotiation, not after onboarding.
Bring a simple worksheet to your consultant or trusted advisor: freelance net average over twelve months, proposed monthly net estimate, vacation days, notice periods, and any signing bonus. Concrete columns beat gut feeling when the offer sits on the table overnight.