In Austria, employees are entitled to various types of leave to accommodate different personal and family needs. Here is a summary of the key types of paid and unpaid leave available:
Paid Leave
Maternity/Pregnancy Leave
Duration: 16 weeks (8 weeks before birth and 8 weeks after birth). In exceptional cases, the post-birth leave period can extend to 12 weeks.
Allowance: Maternity allowance is paid by social security and is based on the average salary of the last 3 months.
Employer Contributions: Employers are required to continue contributing 1.53% to the Pension Fund (Vorsorgekasse) during maternity leave. However, no salary is paid directly by the employer.
Paid Care Leave ("Pflegefreistellung" / "Pflegekarenz")
Duration: Up to 1 week per year, with the possibility of an extension for an additional week if a relative in the household requires care (e.g., a sick child).
Allowance: Salary is paid by the employer for the first week, followed by a caregiver allowance after this period.
Bereavement Leave
3 Working Days: For the death of a spouse, partner, parent, or child.
1 Working Day: For the death of a sibling, parent-in-law, or grandparent.
Wedding Leave
3 Working Days: For the employee’s own wedding.
1 Working Day: For the wedding of a sibling, parent, or child.
Relocation Leave
2 Working Days: For relocating to a new residence.
Partner/Spouse Birth Leave
1 Working Day: For the birth of a partner's or spouse's child.
Doctor's AppointmentsTime necessary for doctor visits upon certification.
Administrative Requirements: Employees must provide the child’s birth certificate to the relevant authorities and apply for maternity pay (Wochengeld) through their health insurance fund.
Unpaid Leave
Unpaid Parental Leave ("Elternkarenz")
Duration: Until 2 years after childbirth, with a minimum of 2 months.
Childcare Allowance: Paid by social security.
Protection: Employees are protected against termination or dismissal for 4 weeks after the leave.
Unpaid Educational Leave ("Bildungskarenz")
Duration: No legal entitlement, but can be agreed upon for a minimum of 2 months up to a maximum of 12 months.
Education Allowance: Paid by the Public Employment Service.
These leave provisions ensure that employees in Austria have access to essential support for family and personal needs, with both paid and unpaid options to accommodate different situations.
Platform Notes: Maternity Leave Calculations (Remote People)
The Remote People platform calculates maternity leave days based on working days rather than calendar days. Here’s how it works:
Working Days Only: The platform counts only Monday through Friday as leave days, excluding weekends and public holidays.
Displayed Leave Days: While a 3-month maternity leave period spans approximately 91 calendar days, the platform will display only the working days within that period (e.g., around 64 days).
Remaining Days: The system calculates the difference between the statutory entitlement (e.g., 90 days) and the working days within the selected calendar period. This ensures clarity but does not indicate additional leave availability.
FAQs
Why are fewer days displayed for a 3-month leave?
The platform excludes non-working days (weekends and public holidays) from the calculation, which is why the displayed days are fewer than the total calendar days.