Part-time work and parental leave at work

In short: Part-time work reduces weekly working hours compared to a full-time position and can be agreed with or without a connection to parental leave. In Germany, under certain conditions there is a statutory entitlement to part-time work.

In more detail: The Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act regulates the conditions for the general entitlement to part-time work.

In detail

• General part-time entitlement: Possible from a certain company size and length of employment, with a notice period.
• Part-time during parental leave: Parents can continue working reduced hours during parental leave, up to a certain number of hours.
• Bridge part-time: Allows a time-limited reduction with the right to return to the previous number of hours.
• Grounds for refusal: Employers can only refuse the request for operational reasons, not arbitrarily.
• Effects on pay: Part-time usually reduces pay and later pension entitlements proportionally.
• Career prospects: Part-time work is increasingly seen in society as independent of career ambitions.
• Return to full-time: Should be clarified early to create planning security for both sides (mutterschutz-und-schwangerschaft-im-job).