The Maternity Protection Act protects the health of the woman and her child at work, education and study places during pregnancy, after childbirth and while breastfeeding. It applies to all pregnant and breastfeeding women in employment. It does not apply to the self-employed and housewives.
Maternity leave for working pregnant women begins six weeks before birth and usually ends eight weeks thereafter. The period of protection after delivery may be extended to 12 weeks for premature birth, multiple births or if your child has been diagnosed with disabilities before the expiration of eight weeks after birth and you have been requested to extend the period of protection. During this time pregnant women are not allowed to work. Your job will be maintained, you can return to work after maternity leave.
During pregnancy, women are not allowed to work more than 8.5 hours a day and do any heavy physical work. If you are younger than 18, working hours are limited to a maximum of eight hours per day. In addition, you are entitled to a rest period of at least eleven hours after completing your daily working hours. Without your consent, your employer may not employ you between 8pm and 10pm, or on Sundays and public holidays.
Working pregnant women must be exempted from work for all necessary check-ups without incurring a loss of earnings.
Your employer must keep you busy and set up your workplace so that you and your child are adequately protected from the risks of life and physical or mental health.
If the employer cannot rule out a health risk by taking appropriate measures at the workplace or changing his job, he is prohibited from continuing to employ you. There is a company employment ban.
An employment ban applies if your doctor considers your health or that of your child to be at risk as a result of your individual state of health if you continue to work.
If your employer is no longer allowed to employ you because of partial or total employment bans, you are entitled to continued sick pay (maternity pay).
After resuming work, a mother nursing her child may require "breast-feeding" at least twice for half an hour or once an hour a day (for a full-time job). This should not result in loss of earnings.
From the beginning of your pregnancy until the end of your term of protection after delivery, but at least until four months after delivery, termination of employment by your employer is, with few exceptions, inadmissible. If you take parental leave immediately after the birth of your child, the special dismissal protection is extended until the expiry of the parental leave period.
Further information can be found in the Guide to Maternity Protection: www.bmfsfj.de/blob/94398/3b87a5363865637dd3bf2dd6e8ec87e0/mutterschutzgesetz-data.pdf