I am due to
give birth to my second child at any moment now, so it seems like an
appropriate time to 1. Blog while I still have the time and 2. Thank Frau
Merkel for giving me some (paid) time off work in order to look after my
newborn.
Since
coming to power, Merkel has been focused on Germany’s low birth rate, which
stands at 1.3 children per woman (the replacement rate should ideally be 2.1).
Figures show that a third of German women are not having children and among
graduates the figure is as high as 40% (Merkel herself included!) Perhaps this
is due to the fact that University in Germany takes so long to complete – the
average German student is in their late twenties by the time they finish, so
finding a job and establishing a career take priority. Also, German society
still very much expects women to stay at home to look after their family. Housewives
get medical insurance through their working husbands and husbands, in turn,
enjoy tax advantages for having wives without jobs. Childcare is inadequate and
expensive. There is even a term in German for those bad, uncaring mums who
selfishly return to work – “Rabenmutter” (raven mother).
In Germany,
the allowances for maternity and parental leave are fantastic. The monetary
benefits are good, but not really much different to other countries if you
consider that we pay around 48% tax and expect some return on our money. The
best thing is the time and the protection you are given. Where else can
you take up to 3 years off to look after your child (as a mother OR a father) and
still be guaranteed a job to come back to?
Every woman
is basically entitled to 6 weeks before the birth and 8 weeks after the birth
on full pay (the so-called “Mutterschutz” maternity leave). After that, mothers
and fathers can take 14 months PAID “Elternzeit” (parental leave) and choose
how to split the months between them. During this time, you receive 65% of your
basic net salary, but no more than 1800 Euros in total (the so-called "Elterngeld"). Even if you haven’t
been working, you are still entitled to at least 300 Euros pay during the first
14 months. In total, mothers and fathers can take up to 3 years UNPAID parental
leave and can even split the parental leave period into two – deferring one
year of time up until the child’s sixth birthday. The flexibility is amazing,
particularly for fathers.
And I’m
still not finished…
If you have
two children under the age of three, you are paid a “Geschwisterbonus” (sibling
bonus) of 150 Euros net a month. Every child is also paid 180 Euros “Kindergeld”
(child benefit) until the age of 18, regardless of income.
Are there
any catches? Not really. Just be sure to get all the relevant paperwork filled
out on time – there are separate forms for everything and they take time and patience to fill out. Also, beware that the Elterngeld (14 months pay) counts as household income and the tax
man will catch up with you at the end of the year!
Despite all
this time and money being thrown at young families, Merkel's measures paradoxically haven't had
much effect on the birth rate and have simply cost the government millions.
There is now talk of scrapping the parental leave. But, luckily this won’t
affect me and so, vielen Dank, Frau Merkel, for what is my second round of
German maternity/parental leave!
