On March 7, 2025, the governing parties ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS decided to abolish the continuing education allowance for educational leave and the part-time education allowance for part-time education. Educational leave and part-time educational leave in their current form will therefore continue until the end of March 2025. A successor regulation is to be decided at the beginning of 2026, but this is still being negotiated.

The abolition is part of the new federal government's austerity measures. In order to avert an EU deficit procedure, it promised back in January to achieve savings by abolishing the training allowance, among other things. In 2023, educational leave cost around 337 million euros, plus 175 million in social security contributions. Government spending on educational leave therefore amounted to 512 million euros. The main criticism was the lack of reference to the profession, as the conditions for granting the training allowance were set low.

The continuing education allowance and the part-time education allowance will expire on March 31, 2025. There is a transitional arrangement for parental leave taken up to the end of March: If the AMS has already given a commitment, these educational leaves can also be completed. There is also a hardship provision for employees who can prove that they have agreed a leave of absence with their employer by the end of February. These leaves can be taken until the end of May with payment of the training allowance. 
The end of the continuing education allowance and part-time education allowance does not mean the end of educational leave and part-time education at the same time.

Both can still be agreed with the employer. What will be discontinued from April, however, is state support.

The KWR Employment Law Team will be happy to support you in all matters relating to educational leave.