Mutterschaft und Arbeit
Mutterschaftsurlaub
Female workers are entitled to 16 weeks of maternity leave. Of these 16 weeks, 8 weeks is pre-natal and 8 weeks is post-natal leave. If child birth occurs before expected date of delivery, days of pre-natal leave that are not taken are added to the post-natal leave. On the other hand, if child birth occurs after the expected date of delivery, post-natal leave is extended until the effective date of birth, without reducing the duration of post-natal leave which remains 8 weeks.
Post-natal leave is extended by 4 weeks (total duration: 12 weeks) in case of pre-mature delivery (before 37th week of pregnancy), multiple births, and in case of breastfeeding.
Under the Law of 15 December 2017, applicable from January 2018, the post-natal leave is 12 weeks for all kinds of pregnancies. A woman worker cannot be engaged in 12 weeks after giving birth. The post-natal period is certified by the medical certificate indicating the date of delivery.
Sources: §332 of Labour Code 2006
Einkommen
Workers are entitled to financial maternity benefits during the term of maternity leave with the condition that an employee (or self-employed worker) must have been registered with the sickness and maternity insurance for at least 6 months during the 12 months preceding maternity leave.
Workers are entitled to their full salary during the term of maternity leave. Those female individuals who are not entitled to maternity benefits during maternity leave are granted maternity allowance. Maternity benefit cannot be lower than the social minimum wage, i.e., gross amount of EUR1921.03 per month (as of January 2014). Maternity benefit cannot be higher than five times the social minimum wage, i.e., gross amount of EUR 9,605.13 per month (as of January 2014). Maternity benefit cannot be cumulated with other benefits like sickness benefit.
The Maternity leave is funded in the same way as sickness benefits, with funding shared between employers (30 per cent), employees (30 per cent) and the State (40 per cent).
sources: §332 of Labour Code 2006; §25 of Social Security Code 1925, last amended in 2013
Kostenlose medizinische Versorgung
Insured pregnant workers are entitled to medical assistance, hospitalization, assistance of midwife for childbirth, medicines as well food for newborns. Cost of dietary products for infants is covered by a lump sum benefit.
The healthcare system is financed by the social security contributions on employer (30 per cent) and employees (30 per cent) and a contribution from state (40 per cent). The state contribution is based on general tax revenues.
sources: Social Security Code 1925, last amended in 2013; Health Code
