#5 What's Elternzeit? - Organizing work and family in Germany

Show notes

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: Gitanjali More is a job coach and advisor for international parents in Berlin, focused on navigating the German system when it comes to applying for benefits and managing their career here. She came to Germany in 2014 to do her master's after working in the nonprofit sector in India. Becoming a mother during the Covid Lockdown inspired her to found "The Confused Mother".

Aigul Zhalgassova is a DAAD alumna working in supply chain management at Siemens and is the founder of the "Women in Mobility" hub in Nürnberg. She has more than ten years of professional experience and, in addition to her intense work, follows her passions for reading, writing and learning. She and her husband both work full time and have a child in Kindergarten, which is comparable to preschool or a nursery.

We will be back with our next episode on January 9th after a short break for the holidays. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform so that you don’t miss any new episodes.

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

Calculate and plan your parental allowance with the Elterngeldrechner (in German).

Claim your parental allowance online: Elterngeld Online (in German).

Parenting in Berlin

Gitanjali’s website “The Confused Mother” offers support for international parents.