Germany Raises Disability Employment Levy to €815/Month — Employers Who Hire No Disabled Workers Face Steepest Rise

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From 31 March 2026, German employers faced significantly higher financial penalties for failing to meet their legal obligation to employ severely disabled workers (Schwerbehinderung). Under SGB IX, companies with 20 or more employees must fill at least 5% of positions with severely disabled or equivalent workers. Those who fall short now pay a monthly Ausgleichsabgabe (compensation levy) per unfilled position at sharply increased rates: €155/month (quota met 3–5%), €275/month (quota met 2–3%), €405/month (quota 0–2%), and €815/month for employers who employ not a single severely disabled person. The March 2026 deadline covered the 2025 reporting year. According to journalist Carolin-Jana Klose, writing for gegen-hartz.de, the direction is clear — companies should be more strongly motivated to create and expand suitable workplaces for people with severe disabilities. For HR managers at larger German firms, 2026 is the year compliance stops being optional: the levy rates now represent a material cost in annual workforce planning.