Many students, retirees and, sadly, a growing number of single parents rely on a side job to boost their income. The work isn't limited to service jobs in restaurants and bars or cleaning work. It is as varied as the people doing it. However, there are a few things to keep in mind with part-time work so you don't lose out on money you worked hard for. Keeping a record of your part-time hours per week is one of the most important basic rules. In the following lines we'll tell you what else you should keep in the back of your mind, and we wish you every success in finding a well-paid part-time job.

Negotiate your part-time hours per week precisely

When you apply for a part-time position you found in a job ad, be sure to bring up the approximate number of hours per month during the interview. This not only makes long-term planning easier for you and your employer, it also gives you the security of not suddenly ending up with fewer hours. It's just as important to know roughly how much extra income you can plan on. That matters especially if you have another source of income and have to pay tax on the amount.

Always write down your part-time hours per week

Even if the agreed monthly number of hours is set out in your contract, it's still a good idea to keep a private note of the hours you actually work. Record the actual working time as well as breaks and any overtime. You don't do this out of distrust toward your employer. It's an important aid for making sure the work you put in is calculated correctly. Of course, such a timesheet can also be a key argument if there is ever a dispute over the payment of your wages.

Report your part-time hours per week correctly for tax purposes
Finally, a topic that was already touched on briefly at the start: reporting your part-time hours per week correctly. When planning your part-time job, keep in mind that you may have to pay tax on this income. In Germany there are special rules for students and retirees, but as a regular employee you quickly exceed a certain allowance and are then quite disappointed when taxes and contributions for health and social insurance become due on the wages from your part-time job. To avoid this, if you have a well-founded suspicion, talk to your tax advisor quickly. They will surely find a workable solution together with you and your employer, so you don't have to give up a large part of your pay.