Das Ende der geförderten Bildungskarenz und die neue Weiterbildungszeit

In dieser Folge unseres Arbeitsrecht-Podcasts diskutieren Sarah Haubmann und Matthias Unterrieder die wichtigsten Neuerungen zur Bildungskarenz in Österreich. Mit 1. April 2025 hat die österreichische Bundesregierung die staatliche Förderung der Bildungskarenz und Bildungsteilzeit eingestellt – mit erheblichen Konsequenzen für Arbeitgeber und Arbeitnehmer. Sie geben einen Überblick über die wichtigsten Änderungen, die Übergangsregelungen sowie die von der Regierung geplante “Weiterbildungszeit”, ein Ersatzmodell für die Bildungskarenz, das im Januar 2026 in Kraft treten soll.

Die Bildungskarenz in Österreich ermöglicht es Arbeitnehmern, ihr Arbeitsverhältnis im gegenseitigen Einvernehmen zu karenzieren, um sich weiterzubilden. Die Bildungsteilzeit erlaubt es Arbeitnehmern, eine Weiterbildungsmaßnahme während des aufrechten Arbeitsverhältnisses durch Herabsetzung der Normalarbeitszeit zu absolvieren. Während die staatlichen Förderungen gestrichen wurden, gelten derzeit einige Übergangsregelungen.

Ziel der geplanten Reform ist es wohl vor allem, die staatlichen Kosten zu senken. Obwohl die Einzelheiten des neuen Modells derzeit noch nicht bekannt sind – sondern lediglich die geplanten Eckpunkte – lassen erste Erklärungen der Regierung in einer dazu abgehaltenen Pressekonferenz erahnen, wie das Modell der staatlich geförderten Weiterbildungszeit künftig ausgestaltet sein könnte.

The end of subsidised educational leave and the new model of training period

In this episode of our Arbeitsrecht Podcast, Sarah Haubmann and Matthias Unterrieder discuss major recent changes to Austria’s educational leave scheme. As of 1 April 2025, the Austrian government has effectively ended public subsidies for educational leave and part-time educational leave – a move with significant consequences for both employers and employees. The discussion focuses on the key changes, the transitional rules and the planned “training period”, as well as the replacement model for educational leave set to take effect in January 2026.

Understanding Educational Leave and Part-Time Educational Leave

Educational leave in Austria allows employees to suspend their employment by mutual agreement, in order to pursue training or educational opportunities. The leave must last at least two months and may not exceed one year within a four-year period.

Part-time educational leave, by contrast, enables employees to reduce their working hours while simultaneously engaging in education. This form of leave may last between four months and two years, also within a four-year framework.

Key changes

Contrary to popular belief, the legal framework for educational leave remains in place under Sections 11 and 11a of the Labour Contract Law Adjustment Act. However, as of 1 April 2025, the state subsidies – provided via the Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS), such as the educational allowance and the part-time educational allowance – have been abolished under the Unemployment Insurance Act. This has led to a de facto end to educational leave, as most employees relied on this financial support.

Transitional rules

While funding has ended, transitional arrangements remain in place:

• Employees affected by the withdrawal of state funding may withdraw from an agreement concluded by 31 March 2025 for educational leave or part-time educational leave, in order to avoid being forced into unpaid leave.
• Individuals who began receiving support on or before 31 March 2025 will continue to receive it for the duration of their entitlement.
• Agreements concluded by 28 February 2025, remain valid if the educational programme begins by 31 May 2025.

Backlash and Potential Amendments

The sudden policy shift – particularly disruptive for those who had planned and agreed to a leave in early 2025 – has sparked criticism. As reported by Der Standard, the Parliamentary Social Affairs Committee is reviewing potential exceptions, such as allowing those individuals whose education was interrupted (e.g., due to pregnancy) to resume with funding. A provisional implementation decree is under review to clarify ambiguous transitional scenarios.

The planned new training period model

The Austrian government plans to replace the current system with a new scheme titled the “training period,” effective 1 January 2026. A draft is expected to be published by summer 2025.  

At present, only the planned key points of the new model are known, which include:

• Stricter eligibility criteria and limits on types of training, excluding leisure-oriented programmes such as yoga or aromatherapy seminars abroad.
• An annual budget cap of EUR 150 million, compared to the EUR 650 million used to finance educational leave in 2024.

Trainings under the new model must include a minimum of 20 hours of education per week. For universi-ty-level programmes, ECTS credit requirements will increase from 8 to 20 per semester, equating to approximately 500 hours of workload per semester. For parents of children under 7, the threshold will be reduced to 16 hours per week or 16 ECTS credits per semester.

Only seminar-style, face-to-face or live online formats will be eligible. Certificates of attendance will be mandatory. Lack of documentation may result in repayment of subsidies. Applicants will need to undergo educational counselling to verify the relevance of the training to the job market.

Employer participation remains undefined. It is currently unclear whether employers may be required to co-finance training, for example. A retention period following the training is under consideration, potential-ly including special protection against termination.

Additional requirements are also planned for agreements on educational leave between employers and employees.

Eligibility for training leave will be subject to stricter employment history requirements: At least 12 months of employment within the last 24 months or 3 months of employment immediately prior to the leave, in the case of seasonal work.

State-subsidised educational leave immediately following parental leave will no longer be possible. Also, agreeing on state-subsidized educational leave directly before mutual termination of employment might also no longer be possible or only be possible to a limited extent. In practice, these have been the most common scenarios for agreed educational leave.

The daily allowance is set to increase from EUR 14.53 to EUR 32.00 aiming to make educational leave more accessible to low-income workers.

While the full details of part-time educational leave are still being developed, it is expected that similar reforms will apply. The current key points focus solely on full-time educational leave.