Munich Startup: Hiring the first employee is likely a milestone for most founders. But it's also a bureaucratic act. What exactly can you expect?
Johannes Kohl, Techniker Krankenkasse: This is indeed a rather complex matter, as the employer must determine whether or not social security contributions are due to the type of employment. This may sound simple at first, but it can become very complex when considering student workers, interns, part-time or full-time employees, or even the employment of retirees or skilled workers from abroad. You can contact your tax advisor here, but they will certainly charge you for this. You can also simply ask a startup specialist at TK or the colleagues at Social Pizza-Teams. This gives you legal certainty and it doesn't cost anything. As a small tip, I can the software sv.net recommend. The standard version can be used free of charge and enables the required electronic and encrypted social security reporting.
Munich Startup: And what role do health insurance companies play in this?
Johannes Kohl: The health insurance fund plays a key role in the social security system, as all social security contributions are paid to it, which then distributes these to the individual providers (pension insurance, insurance for employees, and pension insurance). Therefore, a privately insured person (e.g., a managing director) may still be required to pay contributions (e.g., pension insurance contributions) to the statutory health insurance system.
We can also provide support, for example, when it comes to questions about the consequences of certain types of employment. In other words, whether the employment even triggers social security contributions or not. This way, I can register correctly and pay the correct contributions to the social security partners on time. Furthermore, I'm well prepared if I ever face a social security audit, which everyone faces sooner or later.
“We can meet startups wherever they are”
Munich Startup: Is this your first point of contact with a startup?
Johannes Kohl: Often. However, contact can also be earlier, e.g. before or during the Founding, as this usually means changes to the social security status of the founders themselves. Self-employed individuals may also be faced with the question of whether private or statutory health insurance is the better choice. The answer to this question requires careful consideration, as the decision can be irreversible. There is no "right" or "wrong" solution here, only one that suits or doesn't suit the person in question and their life plans. However, this depends on the specific situation and should therefore always be examined individually.
The great thing is that we can meet startups where they are. Some come to us with questions about their employees' health, others when they want to hire specialists from abroad, and still others when they have issues with onboarding new employees or because they want to save costs. And the great thing is, we can help all of them and make their lives easier.
Munich Startup: What questions do founders ask you most often?
Johannes Kohl: It depends a bit on the stage the startup is in. Across all contacts, these are the current top topics of our Socialpizza colleagues:
- Founding a GmbH – status determination procedure
- Remote working – workation
- Founding a company while studying
- Pay-as-you-go insurance
Startups think early on about topics such as workplace health promotion
Munich Startup: Is working with startups actually different than with other companies?
Johannes Kohl Absolutely. It's not always easier, but it's definitely a lot of fun, because the hierarchies are usually flatter and the decision-making processes shorter. It also seems to me that topics like workplace health promotion are considered earlier from the top than in so-called established companies. In the end, everyone benefits from this. The first startups and startup hubs like Werk1, for example, are using our Work-Life Portal, an app that strengthens team results and responds individually to the goals and wishes of the users – and yes, is also available in several languages.
Munich Startup: At what stage do startups ideally approach you?
Johannes Kohl: In the phase when they need support from us. We want to support and complement the founders. The great thing is that, on the one hand, we never know exactly where our counterparts are at the moment of initial contact, but on the other hand, that's irrelevant because our Socialpizza team and the on-site startup consultants meet everyone exactly where they are: whether in the idea phase, during the founding phase, in the development or growth phase, or when it comes to the topic of workplace health promotion. This saves the founders a lot of time, stress, and money – so feel free to contact us.
“Don’t wait until the place is on fire”
Munich Startup: The best advice you can give a startup?
Johannes Kohl: Don't wait until the whole thing is on fire; contact us early. I believe it's important that founders know in which areas they can expect support from us. Then they can specifically call on us where they need it. While the company can't dictate which health insurance provider its employees should choose, it is certainly free to choose its own healthcare partner, and we're happy to do that. This healthcare partnership is always tailored to the individual needs of the company/startup. We're happy to demonstrate exactly how this works.
Munich Startup: Last but not least: Who do startups approach when they want to talk to you?
Johannes Kohl: Either to the colleagues from the Socialpizza team or to Vanessa and me. The colleagues at Socialpizza are a point of contact throughout Germany, regardless of the startup's stage of development.
Vanessa and I usually come into play when local support is needed. We help with issues related to workplace health promotion, but also when a startup hub, university spin-off center, or accelerator in Bavaria wants to access our diverse offerings. We are particularly useful when a startup starts hiring employees from Germany or abroad. We not only take care of quickly setting up membership, but also support onboarding and, above all, the "correct" deregistration. So we're not just there at the start. Just give us a try – you'll be impressed.
