Transferring pregnant women to lighter work
If you are employed under an employment contract and are expecting a child, but your health does not allow you to perform your current duties, your doctor may consider it necessary to transfer you to lighter work.
Sick leave
To this end, your doctor or midwife will issue you with a sick note, on the basis of which your employer may transfer you to lighter work.
Sick leave
To this end, your doctor or midwife will issue you with a sick note, on the basis of which your employer may transfer you to lighter work.
Month by month
Sick leave related to lighter work is issued for up to 30 days at a time. It can be extended until the start of maternity leave or until you start receiving maternity allowance, but not longer than 182 days.
Month by month
Sick leave related to lighter work is issued for up to 30 days at a time. It can be extended until the start of maternity leave or until you start receiving maternity allowance, but not longer than 182 days.
Until maternity leave, if necessary
The sick leave must be terminated before the start date of maternity leave, so let your doctor or midwife know when you want to start your maternity leave.
Until maternity leave, if necessary
The sick leave must be terminated before the start date of maternity leave, so let your doctor or midwife know when you want to start your maternity leave.
If the employer can offer lighter work
Your employer will temporarily assign you to lighter work, if possible. If you have several employers during your pregnancy, a sick note from your doctor or midwife will allow you to refuse work at one workplace if there is no lighter work available until the start of your maternity leave, while at the other workplace you can switch to lighter work or continue working under the same conditions.
- The employer must pay at least 50% of the wage for lighter work before the start of the initial sick leave for transfer to lighter work.
- The Health Insurance Fund will compensate for the difference in wages between your wages and the average wages prior to the start of the initial sick leave.
- The employer must pay at least 50% of the wage for lighter work before the start of the initial sick leave for transfer to lighter work.
- The Health Insurance Fund will compensate for the difference in wages between your wages and the average wages prior to the start of the initial sick leave.
If the employer does not have lighter work to offer
If the initial sick leave began on 31.12.2025 or earlier the amount of compensation is 70% of the average wage prior to the start of the initial sick leave, calculated on the basis of the average daily income of the previous year (this is derived from § 29 paragraph 8 of the Employment Contracts Act).
The Health Insurance Fund will pay compensation until you start receiving maternity benefits, but for no longer than 182 days.
If the initial sick leave began on 31.12.2025 or earlier the amount of compensation is 70% of the average wage prior to the start of the initial sick leave, calculated on the basis of the average daily income of the previous year (this is derived from § 29 paragraph 8 of the Employment Contracts Act).
The Health Insurance Fund will pay compensation until you start receiving maternity benefits, but for no longer than 182 days.
If your employer cannot offer you lighter work or you decline the work offered, you can stay at home until the start of your maternity leave and the Health Insurance Fund will pay you compensation from the second day of your sick leave.
For cases that began on or after January 1, 2026, if a pregnant woman is released from work due to a lack of lighter work, sick leave compensation for pregnant women will be based on the previous calendar year's social tax-taxed income. This applies in situations where the pregnant woman has one employer.
If the pregnant woman has several employers and works for at least one of them, sick leave due to transfer to lighter work will be interpreted as sick leave due to work. In such a case, the compensation will be based on the average wage indicated by the employer, including those employers from whom the pregnant woman has been released from work.