Miscarriage Maternity Leave Now Available in Germany: Who Benefits and How?
Miscarrriage-related parental leave benefits are now extended to mothers - Pregnancy protection now attainable following miscarriage event
Got some bummer news? Don't worry, Germany's got your back. From June 1st, women who experience a miscarriage after the 13th week of pregnancy can now take maternity leave. But what's the deal in practice? Here's the lowdown on the fresh regulation and who it's likely to affect.
What's the skinny on maternity leave previously?
Historically, the Maternity Protection Act primarily focused on the period right before and after delivery. This protection period usually runs for six weeks before the birth and eight weeks after it. During this time, women typically take a break from their jobs. They're usually eligible for maternity benefits that equal their salary before pregnancy.
What about miscarriages before?
A miscarriage is defined as the early termination of a pregnancy before the 24th week. Women who suffered from that were reliant on a sick note. There wasn't any maternity protection period or benefits under the Maternity Protection Act in case of a miscarriage, unless the child was lost after the 24th week of pregnancy.
What's the real scoop on the changes?
The new law offers a phased approach, meaning: The later in the pregnancy the miscarriage, the longer the maternity protection period provided. In case of a miscarriage after the 13th week, women now get two weeks of maternity leave, and after the 17th week, they'll get six weeks. A miscarriage after the 20th week warrants eight weeks of professional leave, with salary replacement during these periods. There's no maternity protection claim for miscarriages up to the 12th week.
Do affected women gotta work or not?
Nope. If a woman chooses to work despite a miscarriage after the 13th week and doesn't want the new maternity protection period, that's cool too, according to the new law.
What's the deal for self-employed folks?
The new regulation also extends to self-employed women who are legally insured, soldiers, and civil servants. However, privately-insured self-employed women are out of luck, which might change with the new federal government. The Union and the SPD in their coalition agreement want to extend legal maternity protection to the self-employed.
Who's gonna benefit from this newregulation?
It's not entirely clear. The Federal Ministry of Family Affairs doesn't have statistics on the number of women who claimed maternity protection or had a miscarriage. Experts believe one in three women in Germany experiences a miscarriage.
According to research by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology, around 6,000 miscarriages occur annually in Germany between the 13th and 24th week of pregnancy[3]. The majority of miscarriages, around 84,000, happen before the 12th week, and aren't covered by the new regulation.
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- Despite the lack of statistical data, experts estimate that approximately one in three women in Germany might benefit from the new community policy that allows women to take maternity leave after a miscarriage, particularly those who experience miscarriage between the 13th and 24th week of pregnancy.
- The new employment policy, which extends maternity protection to women who experience miscarriage after the 13th week, aligns with the science of health-and-wellness, recognizing the impact such a loss can have on a woman's mental health and overall well-being.
- The new policy, which includes provisions for women's health, such as support for those experiencing menopause and miscarriage, demonstrates the German government's commitment to promoting a healthier and more equitable society, incorporating aspects of both health-and-wellness and mental-health into its family-centric policies.
