Working with kids

For employees of Leibniz Universität Hannover, there are many options for flexible working hours. In consultation with their respective superiors, they can work part-time. In particular, employees with family or care responsibilities have the option of reducing their weekly working hours.

The possibilities of home office and mobile working can also make it easier for employees to reconcile work and family life.

Please refer to the current circular:

https://www.intern.uni-hannover.de/nocache/de/vademecum/detail/1122/

The committees of the university self-administration and the meetings beyond that are to be conducted in a family-friendly manner:

• The chairpersons of the committees and the deans of the faculties should ensure that the dates of ordinary and extraordinary meetings, discussions and consultations are family-friendly or modify them in such a way that family concerns of the participants are better taken into account.
• Meeting times should be chosen in such a way that the compatibility of work or studies and family care and/or nursing obligations of the participants is taken into account.
• Family-friendly scheduling should be flexibly oriented to the needs of the respective committee members, which should be requested before each term of office.
• The meeting and committee dates as well as the start and end times are to be announced in good time.

Leave of absence for family reasons is possible. Information on this can be obtained from the Human Resources Department.

Parental allowance (German: Elterngeld):
Parental allowance is a family benefit for parents who look after their child themselves during the first months of life and are not or not fully employed. Parents who

•     look after and bring up their children themselves after birth
•     do not work more than 30 hours a week, and
•     live in a household with their children and
•     have a place of residence or habitual abode in Germany,

can receive parental allowance, parental allowance plus or partnership bonus for up to 12 months (single parents for up to 14 months).

The basic parental allowance is 300 euros (e.g. for students) - for employed persons, the amount of the parental allowance depends on the income earned in the year before the birth. Up to 65% of the income can be paid. The application for parental allowance is submitted to the parental allowance office (German: Elterngeldstelle) of the municipality where you live or online. Further information can be found here: Federal Family Portal. You should also try the Elterngeldrechner: Parental allowance calculator. 

Child benefit (German: Kindergeld):

In Germany, every person who has children and whose place of residence is within Germany can apply for child benefit. Child benefit can be received as soon as the child is born. Further information on child benefit: Federal Employment Agency - Child benefit: Entitlement, amount, duration. The BMFSFJ also has a fact sheet on child benefits: Merkblatt Kindergeld. 

If you have to delay the completion of a doctorate due to the difficulty of reconsiling the needs of academic work and family, you can apply for financial support. For further information click here: Promotionsabschlussförderung. 

Many institutes and facilities have parent-child offices that allow employees to bring their children to work. Pregnant or nursing employees can use the nursing and rest areas. If you are interested in a parent-child office, please contact your supervisor. Existing family rooms can be found here: Family Rooms: Nursing, rest, study and work rooms for families.

Leibniz Universität supports dual career couples in making a new start in their careers in Hannover and the region. The service is aimed at the partners of newly appointed professors and junior executives from science. To the service offer: Dual Career Netzwerk