Maternity, Paternity, and Family Leave in Germany
Maternity/Paternity Leave
Maternity/paternity leave is a job-protected leave in which mothers or fathers are excused for their jobs for 14 weeks before or after the birth of a child. Fringe benefits continue without payment of contributions or taxes for 14 weeks as well.
This leave includes the 6 weeks before giving birth for women. Employed mothers can get up to 12.78 Euros/day and the employer is required to pay the remaining amount of the wage during this initial leave period. After giving birth, women are restricted by law from returning to work for the first eight weeks following delivery.
Parental Leave
Parental leave is a two year, income-tested leave. Parents are also granted a 3 year job-protected leave following childbirth. This pertains only to parents whose employers have more than 15 employees. Parents can split this leave or take it at the same time. Although both parents are eligible for this leave, less than one percent of eligible fathers actually take this leave in Germany. Parents can work part-time during this leave and continue to get child-rearing benefits if they work for 30 hours or less. Parents may also collect unemployment benefits while getting the child-rearing allowance.
References
"Germany Country Summary."2004. Columbia University: The Clearinghouse on International Developments in Child, Youth, and Family Policies, Retrieved 10/24/2006 (www.childpolicyintl.org).
Trzcinski, Eileen. 2000. "Family Policy in Germany: A Feminist Dilemma?" Feminist Economics 6(1):21-44.
