Short-Term Employment or Minijob: Which Model Fits When?

Two businesses, two needs. The café needs someone to help four hours every Saturday on an ongoing basis. The event provider needs five people full-time for two weeks in summer — and then nobody. Both say "we're looking for temporary help". But the right legal model is completely different in the two cases. Confusing them risks back-claims instead of saving money.

This article compares the common models from a small business's view — understandable, but without pretending legal depth. Above all it tells you which questions to clarify with tax advice or an official body before you hire someone.

Minijob with an earnings limit. The model for ongoing but little. In 2026 a maximum of €603 per month (coupled to the minimum wage of €13.90/hour; from 2027: €633). Runs regularly over months; several Minijobs of one person are added together. Ideal for the fixed weekend or after-work help.

Short-term employment. The model for intensive but time-limited. No earnings limit, but at most 3 months or 70 working days in a calendar year — and it must not be "professional" for the person. Ideal for season, trade fair, harvest, stocktaking, festival.

Small part-time (subject to social security). When it's regularly more than the Minijob limit and not just brief. More obligations, but the right model when the need is ongoing and larger.

	Limited by	Earnings	Typical case
Minijob	money (€603/month 2026)	low, ongoing	fixed weekend help
Short-term employment	time (3 months / 70 days)	open, within the time	season, trade fair, project
Small part-time	– (regular, SV-liable)	higher, regular	ongoing, larger need

The mnemonic: Minijob = money capped, time open. Short-term = time capped, money open.

Instead of "what's cheaper?" ask yourself these four questions — the answers lead almost by themselves to the right model:

1. Ongoing or time-limited? A bit every week → Minijob. A few weeks in a row, then nothing → short-term.
2. How much does the person earn with you per month? Ongoing over €603 (2026) → no longer a Minijob.
3. Does the person live mainly off this work? For short-term employment, "professionalism" is an exclusion criterion — you must check this, not guess.
4. Does the person have other jobs? Minijobs are added together, short-term days likewise. That can tip your model without you noticing.

The official sources for the details: Minijob-Zentrale — short-term employment, Minijob with an earnings limit, and the Minijob glossary of the Federal Employment Agency.

The three most common mistakes of small businesses:

• "We'll just call it short-term." The label in the ad changes nothing about the legal classification. What's decisive are the actual circumstances.
• Professionalism ignored. Short-term employment can fail this check — with consequences for contributions.
• Multiple employment overlooked. What the person otherwise does is not "their business" but relevant to the classification. Ask it actively (see personnel data in the article "Registering a Minijobber").

Be honest with yourself here: this article helps you ask the right question — it cannot decide your specific case. As soon as it's about professionalism, edge cases, benefits, students, or residence status, that belongs, before hiring, in the hands of tax advice or an official body. That is no sign of insecurity but the cheapest insurance against a back-claim.

The model choice is a legal question — finding the right person is another. Vardio shortens the second: fast, multilingual, direct contact. Which model is right underneath you clarify cleanly in advance — then in the end both fit together.