Ma­ter­nity pro­tec­tion, parental leave and parental al­lowance

Parental leave is a good opportunity for mothers and fathers to take a short break from work for a limited period of time and devote themselves to their family. Find out here when to apply for parental leave and read interesting facts about maternity protection, maternity pay and parental allowance.

 

Information on maternity protection

Maternity Protection Act

Important regulations at a glance

  • According to the Maternity Protection Act, pregnant women are subject to a prohibition of dismissal, starting with the announcement of pregnancy until 4 months after the birth of the child.
    This does not affect their own right to terminate their employment.
    After the end of maternity leave, an employee has the right to return to her former or a comparable position.
    Alternatively, she can take parental leave (but this is also possible at a later date).

  • The employer is obliged to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for pregnant or nursing mothers.
    This means limiting working hours to 8.5 hours per day or a maximum of 90 hours in a two-week period.
    Work between 8pm and 6am is not permitted.
    Exceptions to this are possible for female employees working in hospitals, restaurants, hotels, etc.

  • The employer must provide suitable rooms for breastfeeding.
    Breastfeeding time must also be granted during working hours, irrespective of break times.

  • If the work situation involves the handling of hazardous substances or if the work environment itself may be hazardous to health, the employer must assess the situation for its hazard potential and, if necessary, give the pregnant or breastfeeding mother an alternative workplace.
    The risk assessment is usually carried out by the supervisor at the UdS.

  • Since 2018, the maternity protection regulations also apply to female students.

 

You can find the full text of the Maternity Protection Act here.

Mutterschaftsgeld

Elternzeit

Elterngeld