Care time, care allowance & co.: The new regulations for family carers
Adjustments to, among other things, the prevention of work and care leave are intended to help better reconcile care and work. All measures apply until the end of September 2020.
Anyone caring for relatives due to an acute coronavirus-related situation can be absent from work for up to 20 working days. This is possible, for example, if day care facilities have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic or outpatient services are not working to their usual extent. The care allowance can also be claimed for up to 20 working days if care is provided at home due to pandemic-related care shortages.
Family caregivers should be able to take a leave of absence of six months (caregiver leave) and 24 months (family caregiver leave) more easily or be able to resume it after an interruption, whether full-time or part-time.
For family caregiver leave, the notice period is temporarily reduced to 10 days instead of eight weeks. The minimum working hours for family caregiver leave of 15 hours per week can also be temporarily reduced. The notice in text form is sufficient.
The immediate connection between care leave and family care leave will also be discontinued for a limited period. If, as a rule, the 24-month family care leave is taken after the six-month care leave, the care leave will be taken into account. This means that only 18 months of family care leave can be taken. With the new regulations, it is temporarily possible to take full family care leave despite the previous six months of care leave. A total of 30 months of care leave is therefore possible.
The loan under the Family Caregiver Leave Act will also be adjusted to the current conditions on the labor market. Months with pandemic-related income shortfalls can be excluded from the calculation of the loan amount upon request.
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