Return and re-entry

After the end of parental leave, employees have the right to return to work under the conditions that applied before parental leave.

The more an employee was in contact with the company during parental leave, the less it is possible to speak of a 'return' from parental leave or a return to work. For example, if an employee has worked part-time for the entire duration of their parental leave, they may be continuing a working and working time arrangement that has been in place for some time.

This "only" changes the legal framework. After the end of parental leave, part-time agreements are regulated by the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act (TzBfG). The main difference to the guidelines of the Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act (BEEG) is that the special protection against dismissal no longer applies, but rather the notice periods specified in the employment contract.

Support

After a genuine family-related leave of absence, some support and accompanying measures may be needed so that the employee can quickly find their way back into everyday working life. How much is invested here certainly depends on how long the time off lasted and how intensive the contact between the company and employee was during this time. On the one hand, this contact can be a specific conversation with the employee.

On the other hand, it is helpful if the employee on sabbatical continues to receive information from the company, e.g. through access to the company intranet, newsletters sent by email or invitations to company parties and staff meetings.

Talking to each other

Here, too, it is important to communicate your wishes and ideas on how to organize your return at an early stage. We recommend a meeting a few months before the desired return date and a follow-up meeting immediately before starting work. The discussions should cover questions about the future organization and wishes of the employee.

Would the employee like to return full-time or part-time? Which working time models are already practiced in the company and could be applied? Is it conceivable to start with a gradually increasing number of hours? When can and should working hours be? The aim of such a discussion should be to find a satisfactory and practicable solution for the future organization of work for both sides - employee and company.

It can be helpful to put yourself in the other person's shoes: What does the new life situation between work and family mean for the employee? How can it be possible for work processes to function well and smoothly even with changed working arrangements?

The question of childcare should also be addressed in the return interview. Has this already been secured and can the company still provide support? The discussion guide "Returning and re-entry" offers suggestions for the return interview

Mentors as contact persons

When the employee returns to work, the return to work may not yet be complete. Depending on how long the parental leave lasted, there may be numerous changes in the company that are unfamiliar to the employee. Colleagues acting as mentors can help employees to quickly find their way back into the company structures and work processes.

Read more

The Perspektive Wiedereinstieg initiative deals with numerous facets of the topic of re-entry, especially after a longer family-related break: www.perspektive-wiedereinstieg.de