Maternity Leave After Miscarriages: What You Need to Know About the New June 1st Regulation
Pregnancy loss no longer bars individuals from availing maternity leave - Pregnancy safeguards accessible following pregnancy loss
Get ready, ladies! If you've experienced a miscarriage past the 13th week of pregnancy, you may now be eligible for maternity leave. But what does this mean in practice? Let's dive into the details.
In the past, maternity leave was primarily offered during the prenatal and postnatal period, starting six weeks before the birth and lasting eight weeks afterward. Women on maternity leave typically wouldn't work during this time, and their full salary was covered by maternity benefits.
However, if you had a miscarriage, things were a bit different. Until recently, neither a maternity protection period nor benefits under the Maternity Protection Act were provided if the pregnancy ended before the 24th week.
The game-changer? The new law provides for a graduated approach, with longer maternity protection periods for later miscarriages. Specifically:
- A miscarriage between the 13th and 17th week means two weeks of maternity leave.
- A miscarriage between the 17th and 20th week extends to six weeks.
- For those experiencing a miscarriage after the 20th week, an eight-week maternity leave is available.
Thanks to this new regulation, women affected can receive salary replacement during these periods. If you prefer to continue working after a miscarriage, you have the option to do so, according to the new law.
Self-employed women, soldiers, civil servants, and legally insured individuals will also benefit from this new legislation. However, self-employed individuals with private insurance are currently excluded. The new federal government aims to extend maternity protection benefits to the self-employed, as stated in their coalition agreement.
It's important to note that there are no official statistics on the number of women who have claimed maternity leave due to miscarriages or those who have experienced miscarriages in recent years. Experts believe that around every third woman in Germany is affected by a miscarriage.
Research by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (FIT) estimates that about 90,000 pregnancies end in miscarriage each year, with approximately 6,000 occurring between the 13th and 24th week [3]. This number suggests that around 6,000 women may benefit from the new regulation annually. However, the vast majority of miscarriages, around 84,000, happen before the 12th week, and there's currently no maternity protection claim for these cases [1][3].
Stay informed, ladies! This is just the beginning of a new chapter for women's reproductive health and workplace rights in Germany. Subscribe to our free capital newsletter for more updates on women's rights and family affairs. #MaternityLeave #Miscarriage #WomensRights #ParentalLeave.
The new June 1st regulation expands maternity leave benefits to women who have experienced miscarriages after the 13th week of pregnancy, acknowledging the science and health-and-wellness implications. Women who have miscarriages after the 13th week are now entitled to two weeks of maternity leave if it occurs between the 13th and 17th week, six weeks if it happens between the 17th and 20th week, and eight weeks if it occurs after the 20th week. Additionally, the policy change addresses mental health concerns, as women who have experienced miscarriages may require time for healing and support, particularly in relation to women's health issues like menopause.
