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What's Elternzeit?

  • 2023-12-18
  • Episode 5
© © Illustration: Alumniportal Deutschland / Hinterland; Photo: Jessica Schüller

Organizing work and family in Germany

Having a child brings a lot of changes - in your personal life but also in your career. This can be especially difficult when you are away from your home country:  the bureaucracy, the lack of family members as a support system and unfamiliar office rules. In this episode we offer guidance to expat parents on juggling work and family in Germany. What rights do parents and caregivers have? How flexible are German employers?  What do you need to know about work culture when it comes to parenthood? 

In this episode we invited the following guests to answer these questions: 

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FURTHER INFORMATION & LINKS

Parental allowance and family benefits in Germany

  • Find information about family life and family benefits in Germany, provided by the German federal ministry for family affairs: Familienportal.de: .
  • To calculate and plan your parental allowance, use the Elterngeldrechner: tool (available in German only).
  • To apply for parental allowance online, visit the Elterngeld Online: portal (available in German only).
  • Parenting in Berlin
  • For support with parenting as an international parent in Berlin, visit Gitanjali's website “The Confused Mother”: .

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