Munich Startup: Hiring your first employee is likely a milestone for most founders. But it’s also a bureaucratic process. What exactly do you have to deal with?
nnnnJohannes Kohl, Techniker Krankenkasse: It’s indeed a fairly complex matter, because employers must check whether social security contributions are required depending on the type of employment. That might sound simple at first, but it can become very complex when you think about student assistants, interns, part-time or full-time employees, or even hiring retirees or specialists from abroad. You can contact your tax advisor, but they will certainly charge you for that. However, you can also simply reach out to a startup specialist at TK or the colleagues from the Socialpizza team. This way you get legal certainty and it doesn’t cost anything. As a small tip, I can recommend the sv.net software. The standard version can be used free of charge and enables the required electronic and encrypted notification for social security.
nnnnMunich Startup: And what role do health insurance companies play in this?
nnnnJohannes Kohl: The health insurance company plays a key role in the social security system because all social security contributions are paid to them, and the health insurance company then distributes these to the individual carriers (pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance). This means that someone who is privately insured (e.g., a managing director) may still have to pay contributions (e.g., pension insurance contributions) to the statutory health insurance.
nnnnBut we can also provide support when it comes to questions like what consequences different types of employment have. In other words, whether the employment triggers social security obligations or not. This way, I report correctly and, on the other hand, pay the correct contributions on time to the social security partners. I’m also well prepared if a social security audit comes along, and sooner or later it comes to everyone.
nnnn“We can meet startups where they are right now”
nnnnMunich Startup: Is this your first point of contact with a startup?
nnnnJohannes Kohl: Often. But the contact can also come earlier, for example before or during founding, because that usually means changes in the social security status of the founders themselves. For self-employed people, there’s also the question of whether private or statutory health insurance is the better choice. The answer to this question needs careful consideration, because the decision can be irreversible. There’s no “right” or “wrong” solution here, only one that fits or doesn’t fit the person and their life planning. But that depends on the individual situation and should therefore always be reviewed individually.
nnnnThe nice thing is, we can meet startups where they are right now. Some come to us with questions about keeping their employees healthy, others when they want to hire specialists from abroad, others when they have issues with onboarding new employees, or because they want to save costs. And the best thing is, we can help all of them and make their lives easier.
nnnnMunich Startup: What questions do founders ask you most frequently?
nnnnJohannes Kohl: It depends a bit on what stage the startup is in. Across all contacts, here are the current top topics of the Socialpizza team:
nnnn- GmbH founding – status determination procedure
- Remote work – workation
- Founding from university
- Shared insurance
Startups think about topics like occupational health promotion early on
nnnnMunich Startup: Is it different to work with startups than with other companies?
nnnnJohannes Kohl Absolutely. It’s not always easier, but it’s definitely a lot of fun, because hierarchies are usually flatter and decision-making processes are shorter. It also seems to me that topics like occupational health promotion are considered earlier from the top in startups than in so-called established companies. Everyone benefits in the end. Some of the first startups and startup hubs like Werk1 are already using our Work Life Portal, an app that strengthens team performance and is tailored to the goals and wishes of users – and yes, it’s also available in multiple languages.
nnnnMunich Startup: At what stage should startups ideally approach you?
nnnnJohannes Kohl: At the stage when they need our support. We want to support and complement founders. The nice thing is that on one hand, we never know exactly where our counterpart is at first contact, but on the other hand, that’s also irrelevant, because through our Socialpizza team and startup consultants on the ground, we meet everyone exactly where they are: whether in the idea phase, at founding, in the build-up or growth phase, or when it comes to occupational health promotion. This way founders save a lot of time, nerves, and money – so please feel free to reach out to us.
nnnn“Don’t wait until the place is on fire”
nnnnMunich Startup: The best advice you can give to a startup?
nnnnJohannes Kohl: Don’t wait until the place is on fire, reach out to us early. From my perspective, it’s important that founders know in which areas they can expect our support. Then they can use us specifically where they need us. A company is not allowed to prescribe to its employees which health insurance they should choose, but it can certainly choose its own health partner – and we’re happy to be that. This health partnership always adapts individually to the needs of the company/startup. We’re also happy to show you exactly how that works.
nnnnMunich Startup: Last but not least: Who should startups contact if they want to talk to you?
nnnnJohannes Kohl: Either the colleagues from the Socialpizza team or Vanessa and me. The Socialpizza colleagues are the contact point throughout Germany, regardless of which phase the startup is in.
nnnnVanessa and I usually come into play when on-site support is desired. We help with occupational health promotion topics, but also when a startup hub, spin-off center at a university, or accelerator in Bavaria wants to access our diverse offerings. We’re especially the contact when a startup begins hiring employees from within or outside the country. Because we not only take care of quick membership creation, but also support onboarding and, most importantly, proper offboarding. So we’re not just there at the beginning. Just try us out – you’ll be amazed.
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