Parental Leave: What Fathers Should Consider During a Break from Work
In this country, mothers can take a break from their professional lives if they take care of and educate their child themselves. This is made possible by the so-called parental leave. But what applies to fathers?
In Germany, mostly women take parental leave to care for young children. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 23.5% of mothers aged 20-49 took parental leave in 2024 to care for children under six, while only 1.8% of fathers did so. Fathers have the same entitlement to parental leave as mothers, with up to three years per child, and can take it in one to three time periods, or even more with employer consent.
During parental leave, the employment contract is suspended but remains in place, with special protection against dismissal. Fathers can work part-time during parental leave, with a maximum of 32 hours per week for children born after September 1, 2021.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
