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Salary for part-time parental leave: everything parents and employers need to know

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The salary during part-time parental leave is a decisive factor in the parents’ income. If the parents receive parental allowance or other benefits, this has an impact on their salary. Find out everything you need to know here if parents work part-time during parental leave.

What is the salary for part-time parental leave?

During parental leave, parents are entitled to work part-time or in a mini-job. This does not have to be with the company where you are already employed. It is also possible to take up a mini-job with an external company.

It is important to note that your working hours must be between 15 and 32 hours per week. You are not allowed to work more hours during parental leave. The time recording is particularly important here, as exceeding these working hours can result in parental allowance no longer being paid.

The salary for part-time work or a mini-job during parental leave is based on the agreed hourly wage for full-time employment.

Employers may increase the salary during parental leave, but of course not reduce it. The agreed full-time salary is decisive for calculating the part-time salary, as it does not change. Anyone who previously earned 15.00 euros per hour will also receive this hourly wage during part-time parental leave.

The situation is different if the part-time position or mini-job is taken up with a new employer. In this case, the salary is redefined between the parties, as is usual for new employment. Logically, the laws on the minimum wage apply.

Parental allowance: Influence on part-time salary during parental leave

Even if you work part-time during parental leave, you are generally entitled to parental allowance. However, this benefit has an effect on the salary. The basis for calculating parental allowance is the previous income.

The amount is regulated by law and corresponds to a certain percentage of the salary, depending on the income before parental leave. The basis is always the last 12 months before parental leave.

SalaryParental allowance
Under 1.000,00 EuroBetween 67 and 100 %
1,000.00 to 1,200.00 Euro67 %
1,200.00 to 1,240.00 euros66 %
1,240.00 and more65 %

From an annual salary of 200,000.00 euros, there is no entitlement to parental allowance. In the case of jointly assessed parents, the combined amount of 500,000.00 euros per year also applies as the limit. Regardless of whether one parent earns more than the other and how this joint salary is made up.

Salary for part-time parental leave: calculation example

The salary from part-time employment during parental leave is deducted from the parental allowance. This means that parental allowance is only paid on the difference that remains from the original salary.

Let’s take a look at this using an example:

Susanne earned 1,400.00 euros net from her employer before her parental leave. During parental leave, she continues to work part-time. This means that she earns 750.00 euros during her parental leave.

If we deduct the 750.00 euros during parental leave from the original 1,400.00 euros, 650.00 euros remain.

Susanne receives 65% of this 650.00 euros in parental allowance. The 65% is based on her previous earnings of 1,400.00 euros and not on the 650.00 euros As mentioned, the basis for parental allowance is always the previous earnings.

65% of 650.00 euros is 422.50 euros. Susanne’s parental allowance therefore amounts to 422.50 euros.

Together with her part-time earnings of 750.00 euros, Susanne therefore has a salary of 1,172.50 euros during her parental leave.

If Susanne did not work part-time during her parental leave, she would receive the 65% parental allowance on the full 1,400.00 euros. That would be 910.00 euros. The part-time job would therefore give Susanne 262.50 euros more per month. The part-time job or mini-job can therefore definitely be worthwhile.

Salary for a mini-job on parental leave: calculation example

However, if you have a mini-job, please note that your earnings must not exceed the mini-job limit. This is currently 538.00 euros per month.

So let’s assume that Susanne starts a mini-job in which she earns 538.00 euros. This leaves her with 862.00 euros from her previous earnings of 1,400.00 euros, for which she receives parental allowance.

The parental allowance for 862.00 euros at 65% is still 560.30.

Susanne would therefore have 538.00 euros from the mini-job and 560.30 euros in parental allowance, leaving her with 1,098.30 euros.

Even with a mini-job, Susanne earns more than if she only received parental allowance. However, a little less than with a part-time job.

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