Dirt allowance

The dirt allowance is a hardship allowance that is paid to employees as financial compensation if they work under particularly difficult, dirty or otherwise unpleasant working conditions. In this way, the dirt bonus ensures that employees are compensated accordingly for these additional burdens that arise from their work. In addition to dirt, these stresses also include cold, heat, wetness, noise and fumes.

In which sectors do employees receive the hardship allowance?

The hardship allowance can be found in industries such as the metalworking sector, where employees are exposed to noise, dirt, dust and sometimes unpleasant odors. The dirt bonus is also common in (road) construction, mining, the fire department and police, hospitals, cleaning staff and waste management.

However, the conditions for entitlement to a hardship allowance vary depending on the company and the employment contract, collective agreement or works agreement. Some employers have fixed guidelines for granting the dirt bonus, while others grant it individually and depending on the specific working conditions.

Dirt allowance according to TVöD

One such collective agreement is the collective agreement for the public sector, or TVöD for short. The TVöD provides for the dirt bonus if employees carry out a job that places an exceptionally high burden on them. The regulation therefore expressly does not refer to work-related difficulties that occur as part of the normal and typical tasks of the job. The severity allowances in Section 23 TVöD were established on September 13, 2005 and last amended by the amending collective agreement No. 18 of October 25, 2020, whereby the dirt allowance is regulated in Section 19 TVöD.

Difficulty surcharge and working time recording

A relevant topic in connection with the hardship allowance is the recording of working hours. Correct recording of working time is essential to ensure that the hardship allowance is paid for work performed under adverse conditions. Ideally, working hours should therefore be recorded digitally using a special time recording system, such as Krutec WEB Time Recording, to facilitate the billing of allowances such as the dirt bonus. Digital time recording enables precise documentation of working hours and place of work, which forms the basis for calculating the hardship allowance. Thanks to self-service, employees can even use the working time recording system to independently record the days on which an aggravation allowance was incurred. The recorded working days are entered and can be viewed at any time in a practical overview.