On Saturday, about 30 ELTAS members were at the workshop, all eager to hear what Patrick Mustu had to say on the commercial and legal aspects of being a freelance teacher in Germany. He explained that around 62% of language teachers are part-time and this, along with the high number of English trainers looking for work, are the main reasons why schools can get away with offering teachers low fees for their services. He also looked in detail at some real teaching contracts and explained which clauses would not stand up in a court of law.

After refreshments, Patrick focused on the tax implications of a being freelancer and this was a subject of much discussion. It is clear that this is an area where ELTAS members need more information and support. The questions just kept on coming as he touched on pension contributions and pseudo self-employment (Scheinselbstständigkeit).

We could have continued, but time was up all too soon. Maybe Patrick can visit us again next year to follow up on these hot topics?

Look out for the slide presentation from the workshop. As soon as we have them, we will put them online for our members!