Rights and Obligations

The Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG) has applied to women in regular, marginal and fixed-term employment, part-time employees, trainees, interns, students and pupils since January 1, 2018.

It essentially consists of four elements:

• Maternity protection period: The maternity protection period usually begins six weeks before the birth and ends eight weeks after the birth. In the case of a premature birth, a multiple birth or if a disability is diagnosed after the birth, twelve weeks of maternity protection apply after the birth. If the birth is premature, the maternity protection period is extended by the time that could not be taken before the birth. If the birth is delayed, you are still entitled to the full eight or twelve weeks of maternity leave after the birth. In the six weeks before the birth, the expectant mother can decide for herself whether she wants to continue working/studying. However, if you decide to continue working/studying, you can revoke this at any time. You can obtain further information from the university's advice centers. During the maternity protection period after the birth, there is an absolute ban on employment, but female students can expressly request to take part in courses or examinations.
• Protection of breastfeeding mothers: A breastfeeding mother is entitled to breastfeeding breaks during her working hours/study. She may take at least half an hour twice a day or one hour once a day to breastfeed. In the case of a continuous working time of more than 8 hours (i.e. a working time that is not interrupted by a break of at least two hours), breastfeeding time of 45 minutes should be granted twice or 90 minutes once. As a breastfeeding mother, you must not suffer any loss of earnings as a result. Breastfeeding time may not be worked before or after or be counted towards fixed rest breaks, such as the lunch break.
• Protection against dismissal: A pregnant employee cannot be dismissed from the beginning of the pregnancy until four months after the birth. If you are nevertheless dismissed during this period, this is normally inadmissible. However, the employer must have known that you were pregnant at the time he/she dismissed you or must have been informed within two weeks of you receiving the notice of termination. Your pregnancy must also already exist at the time of termination.
• Protection of mother and child at the workplace: Expectant and breastfeeding mothers must not be exposed to any risks to life and health at their workplace. In particular, they must not carry out heavy physical work or be exposed to substances, radiation, dust, gases, vapors, heat, cold, moisture, vibrations or noise that are hazardous to health. The employer must set up or redesign the workplace of a pregnant or breastfeeding mother in such a way that these conditions are met. If this is not possible or unreasonable, the women concerned may not be employed, but will continue to receive their full pay. From 01.01.2018, these protective regulations and provisions will also apply to pregnant and breastfeeding students.

In order for these protective regulations to be applied by the university, you must first inform us of your pregnancy or that you are breastfeeding your baby. Please contact the examination office responsible for you. In a consultation, we will work out together how your course of study can continue.

During the protection periods, you can be exempted from examinations, and the registration or completion deadline for the thesis can also be suspended or delayed during these protection periods.In addition, there are many protective provisions on attending events between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., on Sundays and public holidays, provisions on time off for examinations and breastfeeding, etc.

An information sheet on maternity protection with special information for members of Trier University of Applied Sciences is available for download:

Download: Information sheet of Trier University of Applied Sciences on maternity protection

We would like to expressly encourage and urge you to contact the various counseling services at Trier University of Applied Sciences in confidence so that we can provide you with all the information you need.

Contact persons and advice
In Trier
Student Services Trier University of Applied Sciences
Personnel department

At the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld

Examination Office Environmental Campus Birkenfeld

Personnel department

Further information:
Struktur- und Genehmigungsdirektion Nord 
Regional Office for Trade Inspection
Deworastr. 8 
54290 Trier
Tel.: 0651 - 46 01-0 
Fax: 0651 - 948120-0
 

By creating the parental leave regulations, the state wants to support families who want to have more time for their new family member in the first period after the birth.

It has created various options for structuring parental leave so that families can better adapt it to their respective life situations.

In principle, employees are legally entitled to parental leave until their child reaches the age of 3. This leave of absence from work is intended to make it easier for them to raise and care for their child.

The creation of Parental Allowance Plus and the associated option to extend parental allowance payments beyond the usual periods of 12 or 14 months has also created scope for flexibility in parental leave regulations, particularly for births after 1 July 2015.

As the various possible combinations and arrangements of parental leave, parental allowance and parental allowance plus are very complex and cannot be described in detail here, we recommend that you read the article on parental leave in the family brochure available for download on the home page for an initial introduction and the links on the right for further information.

Parental leave for students

• According to §12 of the Regulations on the Enrolment of Students at Trier University of Applied Sciences (01.07.1997), students can be granted leave of absence from their studies upon written application to the President.
• This can be granted for a maximum period of six semesters, but the leave of absence must be applied for each semester within the re-registration period.
• Please state "pregnancy" or "care and upbringing of own child" as the reason in your application for leave of absence.
• Students cannot be granted leave of absence before commencing their studies, directly after enrollment or during the first semester.

Further information:

www.familien-wegweiser.de

Stadtverwaltung Trier, Jugendamt (Trier City Council, Youth Welfare Office)
Rathaus
Am Augustinerhof 
54290 Trier
Tel: 0651 - 7180 
Fax: 0651 - 718151-8

Kreisverwaltung Birkenfeld (Birkenfeld District Administration) 
Jugendamt (Youth Welfare Office)
Schneewiesenstraße 25 
55765 Birkenfeld
Tel: 06782 - 15-0 
Fax: 06782 - 1549-7

Idar-Oberstein Youth Welfare Office 
Auf der Idar 17 
55743 Idar-Oberstein
Tel: 06781 - 6453-7 
Fax: 06781 - 6444-5

Questions about health insurance during and after pregnancy, maternity leave and parental leave are best answered directly by your health insurance provider. They will also provide you with information on all examination services, maternity services and all treatments for pregnancy-related complaints.

Health insurance for the child:

• The mother's health insurance fund normally covers all benefits relating to the birth of the child. Your child's family insurance is non-contributory in the statutory health insurance scheme, but must be applied for after the birth. You can obtain the required family questionnaire from your health insurance company. Please submit it there with a copy of the birth certificate. You will then receive the health insurance card for your child.
• In private health insurance, insured persons pay contributions for each insured family member. If one parent has statutory health insurance and the other parent has private health insurance, free family insurance can only be taken out if the privately insured parent's income does not exceed the family insurance income limit. If the income exceeds this limit, the child must be privately insured.
• If both parents have statutory health insurance, the parents can choose through whom the family insurance is to be provided.If you have applied for parental allowance after giving birth and your employment subject to social insurance ends, you are covered by health insurance while receiving parental allowance. If you are still employed, you are covered by non-contributory health insurance while receiving parental allowance and during parental leave.Students and health insurance 

The same regulations apply to students.

However, please always contact your health insurance provider to avoid any possible misunderstandings.

As a rule, students are insured as follows:

• You are covered by your parents' family insurance and therefore do not pay any contributions. This option usually ends when you reach the age of 25. An extension is only possible for students who have completed military or civilian service
• You are married and co-insured with your partner. You do not pay any contributions either
• You are insured under the student health insurance scheme and pay particularly low monthly premiums. This option is only available to you up to the age of 30 or the 14th semester. However, this can be extended by a further three semesters due to the birth or care of a child
• You are insured under a voluntary health insurance scheme and pay the contribution set by your health insurance companyThe following applies to children of students:
• If students still have family insurance through their parents, the children (grandchildren) of children with family insurance are also entitled to family insurance (through their grandparents)
• Unmarried parents can insure their child through their own health insurance or through the family insurance of the other parent.People with statutory health insurance who have reached their personal contribution limit (1% or 2% of their annual gross income) can apply to their health insurance fund for exemption from prescription charges and co-payments. To do this, please collect all co-payment receipts and submit them to your health insurance company together with your income documents. Children are generally exempt from all co-payments (except co-payments for travel costs).

Further information:

Bundesversicherungsamt (Federal Insurance Office)
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 38 
53113 Bonn 
Tel: (0228) 61 91 88-8 
Fax: 
(0228) 61 91 87-0
Email:  mutterschaftsgeldstelle(at)bva.de
Internet: www.bundesversicherungsamt.de

Medical care

Health insurance companies cover the costs of antenatal classes, regular medical care and check-ups, as well as all costs incurred in connection with the birth of the child.

Midwifery assistance
Postnatal care by a midwife can also be covered. You can find out about regulations on the use of midwives or a home birth directly from your health insurance provider.

Domestic help

• Mothers and / or fathers who have statutory health insurance and who are unable to continue running their household, in particular due to hospital treatment or medical preventive or rehabilitation services, receive household help.
• Prerequisite: at least one child lives in the household who has not yet reached the age of 12 or is disabled and dependent on assistance.
• Such help can be provided by the health insurance company or arranged through welfare organizations.
• It is also possible to obtain household help yourself. The costs for this will be reimbursed at an appropriate level
• No costs are reimbursed for relatives and relatives by marriage up to the second degree; however, the health insurance fund may reimburse the necessary travel costs and loss of earnings if these costs are in reasonable proportion to the costs incurred for a replacement.Further information:

You can obtain further information from your local health insurance company, welfare organizations and the youth welfare office

Stadtverwaltung Trier (City Council, Youth Welfare Office)
Rathaus
Am Augustinerhof 
54290 Trier
Tel: 0651 - 7180 
Fax: 0651 - 718151-8

Kreisverwaltung Birkenfeld (District Administration)
Jugendamt (Youth Welfare Office)
Schneewiesenstraße 25 
55765 Birkenfeld
Tel: 06782 - 15-0 
Fax: 06782 - 1549-7

Judendamt Idar-Oberstein (Youth Welfare Office)
Auf der Idar 17 
55743 Idar-Oberstein
Tel: 06781 - 6453-7 
Fax: 06781 - 6444-5

If your child falls ill and you have to take care of them yourself because no one else in your household can or can reasonably be expected to do so, you are entitled to time off work.

There are two types of leave for pediatric nursing:

• Paid leave of absence: You take care of your sick child for approx. five days (according to current case law) and submit a medical certificate (according to § 616 BGB). However, this entitlement may be restricted or completely waived by a collective agreement or your employment contract. Ask your HR department about this. According to the collective agreement for employees (federal states), you are entitled to one day's leave to care for a relative or four days per calendar year to care for a child.
• Unpaid leave of absence: According to §45 Para. 1 of the German Social Security Code V (SGB V), you can also be granted unpaid leave of absence. The prerequisites are that the conditions for paid leave are not met, the sick child is under the age of twelve or disabled, and again no other person living in your household can take over the care. If you are granted unpaid leave, you can receive childcare sickness benefit from your health insurance fund. You are entitled to this for a maximum of ten working days for one child (25 days for several children) per calendar year. Single parents can receive childcare sickness benefit for 20 days for one child (50 if there are several children) per calendar year.

You must be eligible to receive childcare sickness benefit:

• A medical certificate
• Application for special leave / time off work signed by your employer
• Certificate from your HR department stating that special leave will be granted if the health insurance fund pays the childcare sickness benefit
• Completed application for childcare sickness benefit (the form is usually available on the back of the medical certificate or from your health insurance fund)
• Submit all these documents to your health insurance company
• Notification of receipt of childcare sick pay must be submitted to your HR department

The following applies to student parents: Withdrawal from a course due to the child's illness will be accepted (submit a medical certificate by the 3rd day after the examination at the latest).

You can obtain further information on this topic from your health insurance fund and your HR department.

In companies with more than 15 employees, all employees who have been working there for more than six months are generally entitled to part-time work. There is a restriction if there are operational reasons for not doing so.

The entitlement to part-time employment for family reasons exists in particular for employees and civil servants in the public sector. The type and structure of part-time employment is individually negotiable. The spectrum ranges from a few hours per week to almost full-time employment.

Prerequisite: official interests do not conflict with the distribution of working hours. If this is the case, an application for part-time employment can be rejected for urgent operational reasons. These regulations also apply to line managers or employees with a management function.

Should the desire for full employment arise again at some point, this must be given priority, taking into account the principle of merit and the prohibition of discrimination.If you are interested in part-time employment for family reasons, you should discuss this with your responsible HR department and your line manager at an early stage.

The Federal Ministry of Labor provides a salary calculator on its website that can be used to make individual calculations for part-time work.

Further information:
Brochure "Teilzeit und Beurlaubung im öffentlichen Dienst (Part-time work and leave of absence in the public sector)"
www.bmi.bund.de

Special rights and obligations of student parents

• Since January 1, 2018, the Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG) has also applied to female students. 
• If you have applied for one or more semesters of leave to take parental leave, the counting of your university semesters will continue during this time, while the counting of your subject-related semesters will be suspended.
• Your BAföG payments are suspended during a semester of leave (see article "BAföG").
• The obligation to pay the semester fee does not cease during the semester of leave.
• No examinations or coursework can be completed during the leave of absence!Nothing changes with regard to health insurance for students on parental leave. If you are not co-insured with a spouse or your own parents, you are obliged to take out insurance and pay contributions.

Further information:

• Maternity Protection Act
• Parental leave
• Examinations and performance records
• Study interruption
• www.bmfsfj.de

Counseling centers

Locations Trier and Idar-Oberstein: 
Student Services Trier University of Applied Sciences (Studienservice)
Schneidershof, Building G, Foyer 
Tel: (0651) 81 03-516, -592, -442 
E-Mail: studienservice(at)hochschule-trier.de

Birkenfeld location: 
Student Services (Studierendenservice)
Building 9924/Room 035 
Tel: (06782) 17 18 26 
E-Mail: studienservice(at)umwelt-campus.de.

 Maternity and parental leave periods must be taken into account in examination procedures in accordance with the Higher Education Act (§26 Para.1 HochSchG).

If one of your examinations falls within the maternity protection period (six weeks before and eight weeks after the birth), you are exempt from the obligation to take part in courses and examinations. You must present a doctor's certificate or maternity pass. At your express request, participation is nevertheless possible. This declaration can be revoked at any time.

§26 of the Regulations for University Examinations (§26 HochSchG) also stipulates that the period of study is not considered extended or interrupted if this was due to pregnancy or parental leave. You should bear this in mind if it appears that the maximum period of study has been exceeded when registering for, taking or repeating an examination.

It is also important to note that no benefits may be paid during a leave of absence due to pregnancy, maternity leave or parental leave.

Further information:

Trier and Idar-Oberstein campuses:
Student Services (Studienservice)
Schneidershof Building G (Foyer) 

Birkenfeld location: 
At the Birkenfeld location, the processing of inquiries at the Examination Office depends on your degree program. To find out which clerk is responsible for you, please visit the website of the Examination Office (Prüfungsamt).
E-Mail: pruefungsamt(at)umwelt-campus.de

You have the option of interrupting your studies by exmatriculating. However, in this case you should bear in mind that you will then have to reapply to Trier University of Applied Sciences to resume your studies.

Re-entry into a higher semester also runs smoothly in NC degree programs, as a restriction is only applied and implemented for the first semester in each case.

The recognition of already completed periods of study, study- and examination achievements as well as failed attempts must be clarified with the Examination Office (Prüfungsamt), especially when changing the examination regulations.

Further information:
Counseling centers
Trier and Idar-Oberstein campuses:
Student Services (Studienservice) Trier University of Applied Sciences, Schneidershof, Building G, Foyer

 E-mail: studienservice(at)hochschule-trier.de

Please note that in Trier the degree programs are assigned to the respective study service teams. This means that you will always have the same contact person for any questions you may have.

Birkenfeld location:
Infopoint Student Services (Infopoint Studienservice)
Building 9924/Room 035 
Tel: (06782) 17 18 26 
E-Mail: studienservice(at)umwelt-campus.de