All postdocs at ISTA are employed by the Institute, even if they were awarded a stipend or fellowship. They receive an employment contract and are covered by health, work accident as well as retirement pension insurance according to Austrian social security law. In addition, employees can choose between a private accident insurance covering accidents in one’s leisure time or a contribution to a private health insurance.
Please feel free to check our dedicated ISTA Welcome Guide for Postdocs for a quick overview of support options and rules.
Shortcut Links
- Working hours and rest period
- Vacation days
- Home office and remote working
- Postdoc salary levels
- Net salary calculator and taxation
- Insurance
- Termination of contract
Working hours and rest period
A full time position corresponds to a normal weekly working time of 40 hours (lunch breaks not included). Postdocs may distribute their working hours at their own discretion and do not have to record their working time. Some funding agencies may however have special policies.
As stated in the postdoc employment contract, in relation to the working hours and the rest periods, the provisions of Section 110 of the University Act 2002 exclusively apply.
For more information about the above please click here to check the English version of the Section 110 of the University Act 2002.
With regards to rest period, the section 110 par.7 dictates:
“Employees shall be given an uninterrupted rest period of 36 hours within the period from Monday up to and including Sunday. The weekly rest period may be reduced to 24 hours if an employee is assured of an average weekly rest period of 36 hours over a 14 day period.”
General overview on working hours
| Contract | All In Contract, salary includes all research and training activities of a scientist incl. night/weekend etc. |
| Normal daily/weekly working hours | 8 hours/day – 40 hours/week |
| Maximum daily working hours | 13 hours |
| Maximum weekly working hours | 60 hours BUT maximum average weekly working hours of 48 hours within 17 weeks |
| Required breaks during work time | 30 minutes after 6 hours of working time |
Vacation days
Employment goes along with 25 working days of vacation per year, i.e. 5 weeks. There needs to be an agreement between the postdoc and their supervisor about the specific dates of your vacation days. Vacation days need to be recorded in the dpw system. The same holds for sick days and business trips, e.g. a attending a conference. Vacation can be accrued up to 3 years.
Home office and remote working
Home office and remote working: In agreement with their supervisor, postdocs can work from home or remotely within Austria. If you need to work from abroad, you will have to request a business trip or – for longer stays – a secondment.
Postdoc salary levels 2026
There are three salary levels for postdocs at ISTA: PD1, PD2 and PD3.
The financial compensation for these postdoc salary levels is reviewed annually by ISTA Management, with adjustments ratified each December by the Board of Trustees for implementation in the following calendar year. The salary levels are yearly valorized (based on the general adjustment) and are regularly evaluated to determine whether they are in line with market conditions and adjusted if necessary.
The salary covers all performance by a postdoc, and as such already includes any overtime or work performed on Saturdays, Sundays, and bank holidays.
Group Leaders are responsible for setting the applicable salary level for postdocs in their group based on the criteria as listed in the Guidance for postdoc salary allocation at ISTA.
The above document aims to provide general guidance for all Group Leaders (Assistant Professors and Professors) in developing an informed salary strategy at different stages of their postdocs’ academic lifecycle at ISTA.
| Level | Salary (full time) paid 14 times a year gross/month, including overtime | Salary (full time) gross/year, including overtime |
| PD1 | 5.250 EUR | 73.500 EUR |
| PD2 | 5.499 EUR | 76.986 EUR |
| PD3 | 5.748 EUR | 80.472 EUR |
Net salary calculator and taxation in Austria
To calculate your net salary please click here
You can find more information here below regarding taxation in Austria:
Insurance
All employees with an employment contract are automatically insured in Austria through the ÖGK (“Österreichische Gesundheitskasse”).
ISTA offers on top of the obligatory Social Insurance provided by ÖGK, a private Business Trips Insurance (UNIQA).
| Regulation | All employees on a full time or part time contract |
| Insurance ÖGK (statutory Austrian insurance) | All employees with an emplyoment contract are insured within Austrian social security system covering health, accident, pension and unemployment (exception minimal employments only cover accident insurance) |
| Insurance during business travel | Covered either trough public insurance or private business travel insurance of ISTA. If a vacation follows before, between or after a business trip, this period, is also covered. |
Termination of Contract
The postdoc and/or their supervisor must inform HR and PDO of any termination of contract request before the former’s contract ends.
One sided termination
It is expressly stipulated in the postdoc employment contract that the postdoc (hereinafter referred to as “Employee”) may terminate the fixed-term employment on the last day of each calendar month by giving two months’ notice.
It is expressly stipulated in the same contract that the fixed-term employment may be terminated by the Employer only if:
- the annual evaluation of the Employee’s research work leads to a negative result or
- Employee’s Supervisor (Professor or Assistant Professor) decides to allocate no more funds for the Employee´s project or does not accept the funds raised by the Employee themselves or
- the Employee’s Supervisor (Professor oder Assistant Professor) leaves the Institute
on the last day of each calendar month by giving three months’ notice or
Employee violates the “Rules for Employees of ISTA” which are valid and approved at that time or consistently declines to follow guidelines which the Employer has justifiably issued, based on the same Rules
on the last day of each calendar month by giving two months’ notice.
Mutual termination
The contract may be mutually terminated by agreement by both parties, The Employee and Supervisor.
In this case, the parties are not obligated to abide by the notice period as required above.
The contract can be mutually terminated during any day of the month by forwarding confirmation email of approval of such termination from both the Employee and Supervisor to the PDO and HR ideally at least a month before the agreed end date.
Further important info:
Early contract termination:
What happens to the 13th and 14th salary payments and vacation days?
Everything will be calculated and aliquoted accordingly to the
actual duration of employment. Payment of any unused
vacation days (after the re-calculation as per new end date)
and pro-rated 13th and 14th salary will be made one month
after the contract ended.
Is there any difference in the above depending on whether the termination is one-sided (either by the employee or the employer), mutual or the contract simply expires?
No. The only difference if it is one sided instigated by the
employee side is the entitlement to unemployment money.
What happens to unemployment status and pay, and what the payment of unemployment subsidy is based on – last salary?
If an employee resigns from their side, there is no entitlement
for unemployment money for 1 month. The basis for the
unemployment benefit is the net income over a certain time
period but it is very tricky and details can only be answered by
the AMS as also individual aspects might be considered.
More information can be found here:
https://www.ams.at/arbeitsuchende/arbeitslos-was-tun/geldvomams/
arbeitslosengeld#wiewirdihrarbeitslosengeldberechnet#ni
ederoesterreich