Maternity Leave

Taking maternity leave from your job in Germany is mandatory. If you are expecting a baby, you are required to take maternity leave starting 6 weeks before and ending 8 weeks after the birth of your child. During this time you have a special form of job protection forbidding your employer from dismissing you. This form of job protection continues up until your child is 4 months old, it is therefore wise to inform your place of work of your pregnancy as soon as possible. During pregnancy, women are restricted from doing work that could be dangerous for themselves or for their unborn child. This type of work includes heavy labour and/or working with potentially dangerous substances.

Maternity Allowance

If you work for a German company, have a German residence permit and have German state health insurance you will most likely qualify for the financial support granted to pregnant women during maternity leave. Your employer and your health insurance jointly pay this allowance, which depends on your earnings. Women insured by a private health insurance, working in a 400 Euro mini-job or those who are not employed receive a one-time lump sum payment of around 210 Euros.

Paid Parental Leave

The German government is trying to increase the birth rate by offering programmes such as the parental leave option. Mothers or fathers are able to stay at home with their child for the first 12 months while receiving 67 percent of their income (at the least 300 Euros and up to 1,800 Euros a month). Parents are allowed to split the 12 month period between each partner. This law also applies to foreigners holding a residence permit. In addition to this, either parent has the right to stay at home with their child until it is three years old. A salary is not paid during this extended leave; however, the company you work for must keep your position available for you when you decide to return to work.

Nursing mothers returning to their place of work are entitled to nursing breaks. For an 8 hour shift, a nursing mother can take two 30 minutes breaks. For shifts longer than 8 hours, the breaks are increased to 45 minutes. These breaks cannot be deducted from your salary or wages and do not take the place of a lunch or other type of break.