Maternity protection calculator for minijobs — protection periods & U2 reimbursement.
Women on a minijob (Minijob, a German marginal-employment job) who are expecting a baby are fully covered by maternity protection (Mutterschutz) under the Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG). During the statutory protection periods (Schutzfristen) — usually 6 weeks before and 8 to 12 weeks after childbirth — minijobbers may not be employed. Our online maternity protection calculator for employers pins down the key dates to the day, including the automatic extension after an early birth and the 100% U2 reimbursement from the Knappschaft-Bahn-See.
When does the employment ban (Beschäftigungsverbot) apply in a minijob?
The Maternity Protection Act draws a strict line between the protection period before childbirth and the protection period after it. Minijobbers are covered by exactly the same protective rules as full-time employees.
1. Protection period before childbirth (relative employment ban): It starts exactly 6 weeks before the due date. During this time, the minijobber may not, as a rule, be put to work — unless she expressly states that she is willing to. She can withdraw that statement at any time, with effect for the future (§ 3(1) sentence 2 MuSchG).
2. Protection period after childbirth (absolute employment ban): After the birth, a strict employment ban applies for at least 8 weeks — or 12 weeks after a premature birth, a multiple birth, or the birth of a child with a disability. During this period, the law rules out work even on a voluntary basis (§ 3(2) sentence 1 MuSchG). The one exception: if the child dies, the woman may return to work after just 2 weeks, provided she expressly asks to and a doctor’s certificate raises no objection (§ 3(4) MuSchG).
What this means for employers: the supplements you pay during the protection periods, plus your costs for any individual employment ban imposed before they begin, are reimbursed under the Employer Expense Compensation Act (Aufwendungsausgleichsgesetz, AAG) — 100% by the Knappschaft-Bahn-See through the U2 levy (Umlage U2).
Single baby / standard birth:
6 weeks before the birth + the day of delivery + 8 weeks after = at least 99 calendar days (14 weeks).
Premature & multiple births:
6 weeks before the birth + the day of delivery + 12 weeks after = at least 127 calendar days (18 weeks).
Early birth:
If the period before delivery is cut short, all remaining days are added to the end of the protection period, day for day (§ 3(2) sentence 3 MuSchG).
Late birth:
If the baby arrives later than expected, the period before the birth automatically extends to the actual date of birth. The full 8 or 12 weeks after the birth still apply.
Important: the start of the 6-week period always depends on the medical certificate stating the expected date of delivery (as recorded in the maternity record, or Mutterpass).
Maternity protection calculator for minijobs 2026
Find the exact start and end dates of the maternity protection periods in seconds. If the baby arrives early or late, the calculator adjusts the protection periods to the day, following the official rules of the Knappschaft-Bahn-See and the Minijob-Zentrale, Germany’s central agency for minijobs.
Due date − 42 calendar days (6 weeks)Date of birth + 56 days (8 wks) or 84 days (12 wks)Unused days before birth are added to the period after birthLegal basis: § 3 of the Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG) and § 1(2) of the Employer Expense Compensation Act (AAG). The calculation follows the guidelines of the Knappschaft-Bahn-See’s employer insurance scheme (Arbeitgeberversicherung).
The due date from the maternity record or a doctor’s certificate.
Leave blank for a provisional calculation before the birth.
New statutory rule under § 3(5) MuSchG (in force since June 1, 2025). During the protection period, the woman may only work if she expressly states that she is willing to; she can withdraw that statement at any time.
Maternity protection periods compared: which period applies when?
The Maternity Protection Act sets different protection periods depending on how the birth goes and on any special circumstances. This table summarizes the periods under § 3 MuSchG:
| Situation | Before birth | After birth | Total protection period | Employment ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard birth (single baby) | 6 weeks (42 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | At least 14 weeks (99 days) | Relative before, absolute after |
| Multiple birth (e.g., twins) | 6 weeks (42 days) | 12 weeks (84 days) | At least 18 weeks (127 days) | Relative before, absolute after |
| Medically premature birth | Remaining days | 12 weeks + unused days | At least 18 weeks (127 days) | No days lost due to premature birth |
| Child with a disability (§ 3(2)) | 6 weeks (42 days) | 12 weeks (84 days) | At least 18 weeks (127 days) | At the minijobber’s request |
| Miscarriage from week 13 | – | 2 weeks (14 days) | 2 weeks (14 days) | Relative (§ 3(5) MuSchG) |
| Miscarriage from week 17 | – | 6 weeks (42 days) | 6 weeks (42 days) | Relative (§ 3(5) MuSchG) |
| Miscarriage from week 20 | – | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | Relative (§ 3(5) MuSchG) |
Note: A birth counts as medically premature if the baby weighs less than 2,500 grams at birth or, despite a higher birth weight, needs more intensive care because its signs of maturity are not yet fully developed.
The day of delivery itself is part of neither the protection period before the birth nor the one after it. It is a protected day in its own right, with full entitlement to continued pay or the employer’s maternity pay supplement (Zuschuss zum Mutterschaftsgeld) — and under the AAG, it too is reimbursed 100% through the U2 levy.
If, for example, the baby arrives 10 days before the due date, those 10 days are not lost at all.
Under § 3(2) sentence 3 MuSchG, the protection period after delivery is extended by exactly the number of days that could not be taken before the birth.
Three typical cases employers deal with
Here’s how births that don’t fall on the due date affect the calculation of the protection periods and minijob payroll in practice:
Important for payroll: In all three cases, the Minijob-Zentrale (Knappschaft-Bahn-See) reimburses 100% of the employer’s maternity pay supplement through the U2 levy scheme — for every calendar day of the actual protection period.
The 4 steps for employers when a minijobber is pregnant
As soon as a minijobber tells you she is pregnant, clear legal obligations apply — both to protect your employee and to get your costs reimbursed:
Our companion calculator gives you the exact daily and monthly maternity pay supplement, plus the €13-per-day threshold, in under 30 seconds:
If a doctor issues an individual or workplace-related employment ban before the 6-week period begins, the employer pays maternity protection pay (Mutterschutzlohn, § 18 MuSchG). This amount, including the employer’s social security contributions, is also reimbursed 100% through the U2 scheme.
Questions and answers about maternity protection periods in a minijob
The key answers for employers and minijobbers under German maternity protection and social security law:
How is the start of the maternity protection period calculated in a minijob?
The protection period before delivery starts exactly 6 weeks (42 calendar days) before the expected date of delivery stated in the doctor’s or midwife’s certificate (§ 3(1) MuSchG). For example, if the due date is Monday, June 15, 2026, the protection period starts on Monday, May 4, 2026. Once set, this start date stays the same even if the actual birth date later changes.
What happens to the protection period if the baby arrives early or late?
If the baby arrives earlier than expected, the minijobber doesn’t lose a single protected day: under § 3(2) sentence 3 MuSchG, the 8-week protection period after the birth is extended by exactly the number of days that could not be taken before delivery. If the baby arrives late, on the other hand, the protection period before delivery extends to the actual date of birth (§ 3(1) sentence 4 MuSchG), while the full 8 or 12 weeks after the birth still apply.
Can a minijobber choose to work during the maternity protection periods?
That depends on whether it’s before or after the birth. In the 6 weeks before delivery, the minijobber may work if she expressly states that she is willing to (ideally in writing). She can withdraw that statement at any time (§ 3(1) MuSchG). In the 8 weeks after delivery (or 12 weeks after a premature or multiple birth), however, an absolute employment ban applies: the employer may not let her work, even if she explicitly asks to. The one exception: if the child dies, she may return to work after just 2 weeks, provided she expressly asks to and a doctor’s certificate raises no objection (§ 3(4) MuSchG).
How, and from whom, do employers get reimbursed under the U2 scheme?
For minijobbers, the compensation fund in charge is the Knappschaft-Bahn-See (Minijob-Zentrale). Through the U2 levy scheme (the Minijob-Zentrale’s levy rate for 2026: 0.22%), the Minijob-Zentrale reimburses employers under § 1(2) AAG for 100% of the maternity pay supplement they paid and, in the case of employment bans, for the full maternity protection pay, including the employer’s social security contributions. You file the claim electronically via sv.net or your payroll program.
What protection periods apply after a miscarriage as of 2025/2026?
Since the reform of the Maternity Protection Act took effect on June 1, 2025, a tiered employment ban also applies after a miscarriage (§ 3(5) MuSchG): 2 weeks from week 13 of pregnancy, 6 weeks from week 17, and 8 weeks from week 20. During this time, the woman may only work if she expressly states that she is willing to; she can withdraw that statement at any time. For these protection periods, too, employers are reimbursed 100% through the U2 levy scheme.
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