Reform parental allowance, maternity protection and work-life balance
The FDP wants to tie the full Elterngeld (parental allowance) to both parents taking at least four months each. Maternity protection is to be extended to the self-employed and to women after miscarriages, and childcare, care services and flexible working hours are to make family and work easier to combine.
The FDP wants to change parental allowance. Both parents should take at least four months. Then they get the full 14 months. Self-employed women should also be able to get maternity protection. The FDP wants to scrap the Working Hours Act.
Parents may divide the remaining allowance months freely between them. Family benefits are to be simpler, digital and automated, for example with AI-based applications and a children's opportunities portal. A flexible, voluntary maternity protection is planned for self-employed women, and graduated maternity protection is to apply after miscarriages before the 24th week of pregnancy. Company kindergartens and short-term and day care are to be expanded, and childcare costs made more deductible. The FDP wants to abolish the Working Hours Act to allow flexible working time.
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„Das volle Elterngeld (14 Monate) soll voll ausgezahlt werden, wenn beide Partner je mindestens vier Elterngeldmonate in Anspruch nehmen.“Translation: The full parental allowance (14 months) is to be paid in full if both partners each take at least four parental allowance months.
Placement
- Economyleaning more market
The Working Hours Act is to be dropped while maternity protection and care services are expanded, which on balance means somewhat less regulation.
- Societyleaning progressive
Four months per parent instead of today's two would be required for the full allowance, which promotes a more equal sharing of care work.