Is pet sitting self-employment or does the pet owner need to hire me?

Are you planning to work as a pet sitter? Here you'll learn about the differences between being self-employed and being employed, and what to consider in your contractual relationship with the pet owner.

Depending on whether your contractual relationship with the pet owner is classified as dependent employment (employment relationship) or self-employment (freelance contract), there are differences in labor and social security law.

The distinction between employees and self-employed individuals can only be made by considering the circumstances of each case. The following points can help in assessing this:

• If you are working only once for a short period for a pet owner (e.g., for a weekend while the owner is away), this may indicate self-employment.
• Conversely, the longer, more frequent, and regular your work for a pet owner, the more likely it is to be considered dependent employment.
• If you are working for multiple pet owners simultaneously during the same period, this suggests self-employment (e.g., collecting dogs from different owners and walking them).

If in doubt, you should contact the Minijobzentrale (Mini Job Center) and request an assessment.