Work and family

• The maternity leave period is 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after the birth of the child. (In certain cases, 12 weeks)
• During the term of protection, there is a relative ban on the participation in exams and courses: Students are excluded from examinations and courses during this period. However, at your own (written) request, you can still participate during the protection period before and after childbirth. You can revoke your consent to participate at any time with effect for the future.
• There is an absolute prohibition of employment during the protection period after childbirth. During this time, the university may not employ you even if you are willing to do so.

Notification obligation for pregnant women

As soon as you learn about your pregnancy, you should inform your employer. There is no deadline specified by law. However, early notification is an advantage in ensuring protection at your workplace.

Parental leave

Checklist:

• Apply to the employer at least 7 weeks in advance of claiming parental leave (both parents)
• An informal written declaration is sufficient
• Have your application confirmed in written form
• You can split parental leave. Specify the exact times in which you would like to claim parental leave
• If fathers want to claim parental leave "from birth", you should state this in the application
• Approval from the employer is not necessary

Parental leave refers to the time after the birth of your child in which your employer exempts you unpaid. It lasts three years and both the father and the mother are entitled to it. It can be claimed by both parents at the same time or independently from each other. The requirements are:

• You are an employee
• You are raising your child yourself
• You live in one household with the child
• During parental leave you are not gainfully employed or work only part-time for a maximum of 15 - 32* hours per week
  _{32 hours for parents of children born on or after 1 September}

Further information and restrictions can be found on the following website

Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth: Brochure:
Elterngeld, ElterngeldPlus und Elternzeit (german)

Entitlement to part-time

There is a right to work part-time of up to 32 hours/week during parental leave if the following requirements are met:

• Employment with the company of at least 6 months
• A company size of at least 15 employees
• Duration of part-time of at least 2 months with working hours between 15 and 32 hours per week
• No other direct occupational reasons

In order to compensate for the missing salary, you will receive parental benefits from the state during the first 12 months of your child's life. More specifically Elterngeld or ElterngeldPlus.

Attention! If your child was born before 1 September 2021, different regulations may apply to you. Please contact your parental allowance office.

Under the following links you will find further information:

Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection:
Gesetz zum Elterngeld und zur Elternzeit (german)

Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth: Brochure:
Elterngeld, ElterngeldPlus und Elternzeit (german)

Parental Benefits, ElterngeldPlus, Partnership Bonus

There are three variants of parental benefits: basic parental benefits (Elterngeld), ElterngeldPlus and the partnership bonus. You can switch between the variants and thus determine how long you will receive benefits.

Basic Parental Benefits “Parental Benefits”

• The benefit period is up to 14 months (12 + 2)
• After the 14^th month of the child’s life, only ElterngeldPlus and the partnership bonus are possible
• The estimated amount of the parental benefits can be calculated via the parental benefits calculator (german) of the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs
• The ElterngeldDigital portal helps with the application process with a digital assistant

A detailed explanation of the parental benefits and illustrative examples can be found on the website of the family portal: Was ist Elterngeld? (german)

Info: Maternity benefits are fully credited to the basic parental benefits. Thus, you will not receive parental benefits during this period. However, in relation to parental benefits the months count as "used up". Since maternity benefits in combination with the employer's allowance account for almost 100% of the salary, but parental benefits account for only 65% on average, the rate is usually higher than that of the parental benefits.

Parental Benefits during the COVID-19 Crises

If your income declines between March 1^st and December 31^st, 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 Crises for example due to short-time work, you will not have any disadvantages in terms of the calculation of parental benefits. These months are skipped in the calculation and will therefore have no effect on your parental benefits. They are also not included in a later calculation for another child. Instead, the higher income of the months before is included (§27 Abs. 4 BEEG).

Further information can be found under the following link:

Family Portal: Elterngeld: Anpassungen anlässlich der Corona-Pandemie (german)

ElterngeldPlus

The short clip: Das ElterngeldPlus (german) explains the system in an illustrative way.

You can inform yourself extensively on the website: Elterngeld und ElterngeldPlus (german) of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

Partnership Bonus:

You can inform yourself extensively on the website: Elterngeld und ElterngeldPlus (german) of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth

Under the following links you can find further information:

Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth:
Elterngeld und ElterngeldPlus (german)

Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth:
Elterngeld, ElterngeldPlus und Elternzeit (german)

Finanztip.de:
So machen Sie mehr aus Ihrem Elterngeld (incl. a checklist, german)

flexible working models

• flexible working hours between 06:00 a. m. and 08:00 p. m. without core working hours
• part-time options
• flexible annual working time account
• alternating telework
• flexible workdays

Maternity benefits

Upon request you will receive maternity benefits of up to 13 euros from the statutory health insurance per calendar day during the protection period. If the average net wage exceeds the amount of 13 euros per calendar day (from 390 euros per month net wage), the employer must pay the difference as a contribution to the maternity benefit.

If you have private health insurance, you will receive a maximum of 210 euros per month from the Federal Insurance Office.

Bear in mind: Maternity benefits and employer's contributions are offset against parental benefits. If you have applied for one of the two benefits, you must apply for parental allowance for the respective months.

Protection against dismissal

During maternity leave, you enjoy special protection against dismissal. This also applies during the probationary period.

Nursing room with changing facilities

Building 92, GF, Room 15 (92.0.15)

Diaper wrapping

Changing facilities are also available in the spacious and daily cleaned barrier-free toilets:

• Building 92, GF (92.0.8)
• Building 51, GF, east (51.0.16)
• Building 50 1. Floor, east (50.1.13)
• Building 54, GF (54.0.3)
• Library
• Dining hall (87.0.15)

Dining

Highchairs are available in the dining hall for our youngest visitors to the canteen. A children's plate card (free addition to the parents' meal for children under the age of 10) can be applied for.

Children's area in the university library

For children who are in the university library under the supervision of their parents, books and toys are available in the children's area. Changing facilities are available in the nearby toilets of the university library.k.

Parent-child parking

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Office for Family, Equal Opportunities and Diversity – Simone Keller (simone.keller(at)hs-ansbach.de, Phone: 0981-4877-504).

Welcome package

The university has a little surprise for our new parents!
Student parents can pick it up after the birth by presenting their birth certificate at the Office for Family, Equal Opportunities and Diversity. Please make an appointment in advance.
(Staff and professors please contact the Human Resources Department).

There is the possibility of childcare by the “Miteinander" maternity center, which is located directly next to the campus in the Brückencenter. There, an individual and very flexible care time can be booked. The Mothers Center is a registered association. The university is happy to provide financial support for the membership fee of the “Miteinander” maternity center. To receive financial support, you can apply for subsidies for the membership fee. As a club member, the cost contributions for the care are significantly lower.

The grant can informally be applied for at the chancellor of the university, Mrs. Esther Schnetz (esther.schnetz(at)hs-ansbach.de). Further information about the Mütterzentrum can be found here: Muetterzentrum Ansbach.

Further information on other childcare options can be found here:

• Landkreis Ansbach: Kinderbetreuung
• Familienlandkreis: Betreuung von Kindern & Jugendlichen

The office cooperates with various advice centres and network partners in order to offer the widest possible range of advice and support. Mütterzentrum Ansbach (german)

Koki-Netzwerkfrühe Kindheit Landkreis Ansbach (german)

Bündnis Familie Landkreis Ansbach (german)

Bavarian Family Services Network of the Universities

Under the following links you will find further information.

Parental benefits, ElterngeldPlus and maternity leave:
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend: Elterngeld, EltergeldPlus und Partnerschaftsbonus (german)

Day care:
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend: Kindertagespflege: die familiennahe Alternative-Ein Leitfaden für Eltern (german)

Under the following links you will find further information on counselling (german):

Sozialatlas Stadt Ansbach:
Stadt Ansbach: Ansbacher Sozialatlas

Gesundheitsamt:
Stadt und Landkreis Ansbach: staatlich anerkannte Beratungsstelle für Schwangerschaftsfragen

Schwangerenberatung Ansbach:
Landkreis Ansbach: Leben im Landkreis- Schwangerenberatung

Schwangerschaftsberatung:
Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Familie, Arbeit und Soziales: Schwanger in Bayern- Infos und Beratung für Schwangere und Familien

Schwangerschaftsberatung Diakonie Ansbach:
Diakonie Ansbach: staatlich anerkannte Beratungsstelle für Schwangerschaftsfragen

Amt für Familie und Jugend – Ansprechpartner und Telefonnummern:
Stadt Ansbach: Amt für Familie und Jugend- Wegweiser Adressen und Telefonnummern

Parents-meeting ”Treffpunkt Studieren mit Kind”
Once a semester, the parents' group of the university meets for breakfast in the “Offenen Treff" of the Mothers' Center in Ansbach. For a small fee per person, the food is provided by the Mütterzentrum. Highchairs, a changing table and toys are available for children. Previous participants felt the personal exchange and the community with other studying parents to be were very valuable.