Corona, children, chaos: this is how employers can help parents at least financially

Working parents are often overwhelmed in the Corona crisis. Employers can at least help their employees with childcare financially.

• The corona crisis * quickly becomes a phase of suffering for workers with children.
• At least financially, employers can help their employees with childcare .
• Experts give tips. Many parents continue to hope for much more support.

Employers can subsidize childcare in Corona times

The corona pandemic * is a challenge for many families. Because parents often have to organize work and childcare at the same time *. Certainly only a small consolation for many: employers can at least financially support their employees with childcare. You can pay out an amount of up to 600 euros per calendar year for additional and short-term occupational childcare needs for children under the age of 14, as reported by the German Press Agency.

Provided that these conditions are met: "In the current time, the need for additional childcare is assumed if the employee works due to the Corona crisis * during extraordinary working hours or if the regular childcare due to school and daycare closures is no longer available," explains Uwe Rauhöft from Federal Association of Wage Tax Assistance Associations in Berlin.

A prerequisite for tax exemption from payment is that care must be organized at short notice , which is also considered to be the case during the Corona crisis. The amount must also be paid in addition to normal wages.

"However, it should be noted that these 600 euros are not a lump sum, but that the employee actually had expenses in this amount for short-term childcare," explains Rauhöft. The amount may also be paid tax-free if it is about comparable short-term and job-related care for relatives in need of care .

Read here : Despite Corona Virus: Closing Facilities, Subscription Payments Continuing - What to Do?

Help for parents in corona crisis - who is entitled to loss of earnings?

Depending on the federal state, it may take more or less long for daycare centers and schools to be fully opened again.

Anyone who cannot work or cannot work in full is entitled to compensation in the event of loss of earnings due to an innovation in the Infection Protection Act passed on March 25, explains the DGB legal protection in an FAQ on the subject. But what does that mean specifically?

This regulation applies to all parents and foster parents who are employed and have a loss of earnings because they have to look after their children because of closed schools or day care centers. However, there are some restrictions: only parents who have a child who is younger than 12 years are eligible . The compensation is paid for a maximum of six weeks and is 67 percent of  the net loss of earnings . The sum is capped, however, there is a maximum of 2016 euros per month, as the German press agency reported.

Accordingly, there is no entitlement if childcare facilities are closed anyway due to school holidays stipulated in state law. Last but not least, compensation is only given if parents have no other reasonable childcare options. You may have to prove this to the authorities and the employer.

Loss of earnings compensation is therefore excluded for many groups . According to the DGB, legal protection includes:

• Parents who can take advantage of so-called emergency care in the daycare or school.
• Families in which another parent can take care of them.
• Families in which another person living in the same household as the parent and the child can take care of them; Grandparents are expressly not included in the care.
• Parents who can reasonably be expected to work from home. Here it will probably depend on how old the child is and what the overall childcare situation looks like.
• Custodians who are on short-time work. They have no right to compensation to the extent that their working hours have been reduced due to short-time working. Custodians who have saved a time credit in a working time account. You can only claim the compensation once you have depleted your time credit.

According to information from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS), the obligation to use up vacation entitlements before a claim for compensation arises is limited to vacation from the previous year as well as vacation that has already been planned and approved in advance and that was taken anyway during the day of the day of school closure should be.

In order to receive the money, parents with loss of earnings turn to their employer - the employer pays the compensation and then retrieves the money from the competent authority in the respective country. The regulation is valid until December 31, 2020, according to the report of the German Press Agency on these regulations.

Also read : Can employers apply for short-time allowance for mini-jobbers and temporary workers?

Video: Fees despite closed daycare centers due to Corona

The health insurance company KKH  had emphasized, according to a message from March 18: "The already greatest challenge for parents, namely to get families, household and work under one roof, will now come to a head in the Corona crisis."

Survey: Single parents want financial help

According to the survey, single mothers and fathers in particular want additional financial help (71 percent), more recognition from employers and more support in raising children from their ex-partner or their relatives (39 percent). "However, in times of Corona, this should be difficult," the forecast.

The KKH nevertheless advised parents to keep calm  and to discuss the situation with the employer. Many companies have already made individual arrangements for employees who have to look after their children because of daycare and school closings. The fact is: "If the contract does not exclude it, the employer must continue to pay the salary for a few days in such cases. But, according to the KKH:" If childcare facilities remain closed for longer, parents are no longer entitled to paid leave. "

Read here: Short-time work allowance for coronavirus - this now applies to workers .

Tip: Talk to employer about reducing overtime

Alternatively, mothers and fathers could take short-term leave * , the KKH describes the legal situation - "paid or unpaid in agreement with the employer - or, for example, by reducing overtime * ensuring that their children are looked after after the first few days".

In some industries, parents could also agree flexible working hours  , the tip. Or they are currently working in the home office * - which, according to parents, is often far from easy if the children want to be employed at home at the same time.

Here you will learn : Heroes of the Corona Crisis: These are the salaries of employees in systemically relevant professions

Child supplement support

In addition, it is said that parents who are currently struggling with lower income can get the child supplement more easily . This can be up to 185 euros per child per month and depends on income - so far the last six months have been taken into account here. In future, only the income from last month should be used, since the corona crisis could have caused enormous losses in the short term. The family allowance pays the child supplement. You can apply for it online at the Federal Employment Agency. Information and help is available at www.kinderzuschlag.de.

Find out more : Short-time work benefits are increased: this applies to employees and the self-employed

Child sickness benefit for single parents up to 20 days

The KKH also advises : "If a child actually gets sick, working parents can get free work for up to ten days - single mothers and fathers each for up to 20 days." For this they receive child sickness benefit * from the statutory health insurers, provided the child is under twelve years old and the doctor certifies that he is ill and the necessary care.

Find out here : Corona help from the state: who is entitled to what - and from whom?

And what to do when the child is older? There is no child sickness benefit for children over the age of twelve, the spokesman for KKH-Patric Stamm asked on request. Alternative solutions would have to be found here, the spokesman said. He recommends approaching the employer and, for example, finding an agreement on how working hours can be divided more flexibly. "Here it is important to find ways together between employer and employee to survive the crisis."

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Sources: dpa, KKH

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* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide central Ippen editorial network