Sick Pay, Child Sick Pay, and Maternity Pay

In the event of incapacity for work, employees receive six weeks' continued payment of wages from their employer. After six weeks, the statutory health insurance pays sick pay. After six weeks, a self-employed person can also receive sick pay if he has chosen an appropriate tariff. 

Usually, sick pay amounts to 70 percent of the regular income. One-time payments such as Christmas and vacation bonuses are also included in the gross income calculation. Sick pay is capped at 90 percent of net income. Sick pay is paid for a maximum of 78 weeks within a three-year period.

Sick pay for taking care of a sick child
Entitlement to sick pay does not only arise when an insured person is ill. Sick pay may also be paid under certain circumstances if a sick child needs to be cared for. However, this only applies if no other person living in the household can supervise, look after, or care for the child. Entitlement to sick pay if a child is ill only exists if the sick child is covered by statutory health insurance.

The entitlement period to child sick pay is 10 days for each child; for single parents, 20 work days. The double entitlement is intended to ensure that the children of single parents are not treated less favorably than those of married couples. However, there are limits for insured persons with more than two children. They can take a maximum of 25 days off work (single parents, 50) per calendar year. Child sick pay is paid for children under the age of 12 or disabled and dependent on assistance.

Maternity pay
Women members of a statutory health insurance fund receive maternity pay from their health insurance fund during the maternity protection period. This is conditional on the woman being employed at the start of the protection period (six weeks before birth).

Maternity pay is calculated based on the average salary for the three calendar months before the start of the maternity protection period, minus statutory deductions. The maximum amount of maternity pay is 13 euros per day. If the average net salary exceeds 13 euros per day, the employer must pay an allowance equal to the difference between the maternity pay and the net salary.