Deutsch Parental leave for fathers
In practice, it is seen time and again that quite a few fathers are unsure whether they should take parental leave. In the face of increasing competition in the workplace, the decision to leave the job in the medium term triggers certain fears in many of those concerned. But in retrospect, fathers usually do not regret taking parental leave.
Framework conditions for parents are practically identical
If you want to take parental leave for your (newborn) child as a father, the same basic conditions apply to the topic of parental allowance as to mothers. You are entitled to parental leave until your child reaches the age of three, which results in a maximum parental leave of 36 months. In addition, a special regulation applies. If your child was born by 30 June 2015, you may take 12 months of parental leave until your child reaches the age of eight. For children born on or after 01.07.2015, this even applies to a full 24 months of your parental leave entitlement. Your employer may not refuse parental leave that extends beyond the completed third year of your child's life.
Applying for parental leave
Your employer cannot object to your request for parental leave. However, your employer has the right to be informed about your plans at an early stage. The legislator has stipulated that you must notify your employer of your wish to take parental leave no later than seven weeks before it begins. The notification may be made informally. If the employer agrees, a maximum weekly working time of 32 hours is permissible during your parental leave.
Protection against dismissal
While on parental leave, you enjoy protection against dismissal. The legislator has stipulated that, in principle, you may not be dismissed from the time you notify your employer of your parental leave, but no earlier than eight weeks before it begins. In the event of insolvency of your employer or a transfer of business, termination may be permissible with the approval of the supervisory authority. Only in special exceptional cases - for example, in the event of a serious breach of duty under the employment contract or a company shutdown - would termination within the parental leave period be permissible.
Parental benefit possible
As a father, you are not only entitled to parental leave. You can also draw the so-called parental allowance during your parental leave. However, it is important to note that parental allowance is paid for a maximum of 14 months per child. Since mothers often take their personal maximum period of 12 months, the 13th and 14th months are often referred to as "father months". Theoretically, however, it is also possible to divide the parental allowance months differently - for example, to divide the total period of 14 months in half.
Tax brackets
As a future father of a family, you should pay attention to how you use your tax classes as spouses early on before the birth of your offspring. This makes sense because the parental allowance is calculated on the basis of the gross income of the last 12 months. The net income relevant for parental allowance is determined by a simplified procedure. It remains the case that the tax class that applied for the majority of the months in the assessment period applies.