Mutterschutz: protection around birth
Iranian employees in Germany are covered by applicable maternity protections too. Tell the employer about pregnancy and the expected birth date, clarify the protection period and arrange benefit claims separately. Special rules apply to premature births and other cases.
Step by step
- Coordinate maternity protectionInform the employer, confirm the expected date and applicable protection period, and arrange benefits or parental leave through their separate procedures.
The ordinary protection period starts six weeks before the expected birth; during this prenatal period you may expressly agree to work and withdraw that agreement for the future. After birth, employment is normally prohibited for eight weeks, with extensions for specified cases such as premature or multiple births. Earlier delivery can also affect the period's calculation.
Tell the employer about pregnancy and the expected delivery date; it can request a doctor's or midwife's certificate. Protection against dismissal applies under statutory conditions, including employer knowledge or timely notification, with narrow authority-approved exceptions. If a dismissal arrives, obtain prompt advice rather than assuming protection automatically resolves it. Mutterschaftsgeld and Elternzeit have separate procedures.
Sources
- MuSchG §3 · Bundesministerium der Justiz
- MuSchG §15 · Bundesministerium der Justiz
- MuSchG §17 · Bundesministerium der Justiz
- MuSchG §19 · Bundesministerium der Justiz
- BEEG §16 · Bundesministerium der Justiz
