Parental leave by country / Austria
Maternity, paternity and parental leave in Austria
How long each parent can be away, who pays and how much, the notice rules and the job protection — in plain English, whether you run a team in Austria or work on one.
Austrian mothers may not work for eight weeks before and eight weeks after the birth (twelve after a caesarean, premature or multiple birth) and receive Wochengeld from the health insurer at their average net pay, uncapped. Fathers may take a Papamonat of up to one month within 91 days of the birth, unpaid by the employer but supported by a daily Familienzeitbonus. Either parent may then take Elternkarenz until the day before the child’s second birthday, with Kinderbetreuungsgeld paid as a flexible flat-rate account or as an income-related benefit of 80% of previous earnings for up to a year.
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How it works
The Mutterschutzgesetz imposes an absolute work ban for the eight weeks before the expected date and eight weeks after the birth (twelve for premature, multiple or caesarean births), during which the ÖGK pays Wochengeld equal to the average net earnings of the previous 13 weeks plus a supplement for special payments, with no ceiling; dismissal is prohibited from notification of the pregnancy until four months after the birth and throughout Karenz. The Familienzeitbonusgesetz gives fathers and co-parents a Papamonat (Familienzeit) of 28 to 31 days within the first 91 days, unpaid by the employer but with a daily bonus from the ÖGK; since 2023 there is a legal right to the time off with three months’ notice. Elternkarenz under the MSchG and the Väter-Karenzgesetz runs until the day before the second birthday, can be shared in up to three blocks of at least two months, and may include one month of overlap; from November 2023 the full two years are available only if both parents take at least two months, otherwise the second parent’s share is capped. Kinderbetreuungsgeld is paid either as a flat-rate account of roughly 15,000 euros spread over 365 to 851 days (up to 1,063 if both parents draw it) or as an income-related benefit of 80% of prior net income, capped, for 365 days plus 61 for the partner.
Worth knowing: The Familienzeitbonus is deducted from any later income-related Kinderbetreuungsgeld the same parent draws; the flat-rate account is not affected. Amounts are indexed each year and published in the Chancellery’s brochure.
If you run a team in Austria
Observe the work ban and pay any collective-agreement top-up to Wochengeld (the ÖGK pays the benefit itself). Grant the Papamonat on three months’ notice and Karenz on the statutory notice — eight weeks before the end of Mutterschutz for the first parent. Keep the position: an employee on Karenz has the right to return to the same or an equivalent role, and dismissal protection runs until four weeks after Karenz ends. Annual leave may be reduced by one-twelfth per month of Karenz, but not for Mutterschutz.
If you work in Austria
Report the pregnancy to your employer as soon as you know, and apply to the ÖGK for Wochengeld before the protection period. Fathers request the Papamonat three months ahead and apply for the Familienzeitbonus within 121 days of the birth. Request Karenz in writing within eight weeks after the birth (or the end of Mutterschutz) and choose the Kinderbetreuungsgeld variant with the ÖGK — the choice is binding.
Parental leave and annual leave
Annual leave accrues in full during the Mutterschutz work ban. During Elternkarenz the employer may reduce the annual entitlement by one-twelfth for each month of leave (Urlaubsgesetz §2), and leave not taken before Karenz is preserved.
The annual leave entitlement itself is covered on our Austria annual leave page — 25 working days minimum.
Keeping the record straight
Long leaves are where leave records go wrong quietly: holiday that kept accruing for months and was never credited, a return date nobody diarised, a reduced entitlement applied where the law forbids it. In Austria the rules above decide what is owed on return, and the record has to show it. A tracker like Leavo keeps the leave, the accrual and the approvals in one place so the return is a date, not a dispute. We compare the options in our leave management software guide, and the policy side — carryover, payout, accrual — in our guides.
Parental leave in Austria: common questions
Is Wochengeld capped?
No. It equals the average net earnings of the 13 weeks before the protection period, plus a percentage supplement for special payments such as the 13th and 14th salary, and is paid by the ÖGK for the whole work ban.
Is the Papamonat paid?
Not by the employer. Fathers and co-parents receive the Familienzeitbonus from the ÖGK for each day of the month, provided they live in the same household as the child and are not otherwise working; the amount is indexed annually.
How long can Karenz last and can both parents take it?
Until the day before the child’s second birthday, shared between the parents in up to three blocks of at least two months each, with one month of overlap allowed. Since November 2023 the full period requires each parent to take at least two months.
Does annual leave accrue during maternity or parental leave in Austria?
Annual leave accrues in full during the Mutterschutz work ban. During Elternkarenz the employer may reduce the annual entitlement by one-twelfth for each month of leave (Urlaubsgesetz §2), and leave not taken before Karenz is preserved.
Source
Primary source: Mutterschutzgesetz (MSchG); Väter-Karenzgesetz (VKG); Kinderbetreuungsgeldgesetz (KBGG); Familienzeitbonusgesetz. Benefit rates and ceilings change every year and collective agreements frequently improve on the statutory scheme — confirm against the current text before acting. See our methodology.