German court: Job protection applies to split parental leave

Employees in Germany are protected from termination during parental leave, regardless of whether they take it in one continuous period or in multiple separate installments. This protection also extends to situations where an employee requests several parental leave periods through a single written notification, according to a ruling by the Federal Labor Court in Erfurt.

The Federal Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act stipulates that employers cannot terminate employees from the date they request parental leave until the child reaches the age of three. This protection begins at the earliest eight weeks before the start of the parental leave.

While the law generally forbids termination during parental leave, it does allow for exceptions in "special cases" where termination may be declared permissible. The court's decision reinforces the rights of parents to take time off to care for their children without the immediate threat of job loss.