“Better unemployed than childless”
With this provocative action, pregnant women should avoid the parental allowance limit
© Krakenimages.com/Adobe Stock
The ‘Better unemployed than childless’ campaign calls on pregnant women to quit their jobs to receive unemployment benefits if they can no longer receive parental allowance. The action of “The Female Company” aims to rethink politics.
There is a rather unusual proposition in the debate on eliminating parental benefits for the highest incomes: unemployment benefits instead of parental benefits.
“We are making our employees an immoral offer: and asking them to resign!” writes the women’s health company “The Female Company” on her Instagram channel. “… to hire them again later. They also remain covered by social security and health insurance, but receive up to €2,400 in unemployment benefits instead of up to €1,800 in parental allowances.” The right to a pension does not expire during the period of unemployment.
The action is called “Better unemployed than childless.” The loophole offered is intended to allow households to receive wage replacement benefits that they otherwise would not receive.
The Federal Ministry of the Family plans to abolish the parental allowance starting from an annual taxable family income of 150,000 euros. The income limit is currently 300,000 euros. This sparked a debate. The petition “No to the revocation of parental allowance” had collected 600,000 signatures in a very short time. The “Better unemployed than childless” campaign also wants to put pressure on the government not to “carry out its overdue plans”. It is about equality, regardless of social background.
Pregnant then quit? These are the requests
“Our action is meant to be leverage to get the federal government to rethink the issue of parental support in general,” says the campaign website. The requests are:
- No lowering of the eligibility limit
- Increase the minimum amount at the citizen’s income level
- Inflation adjustment of parental allowance
- Introduction of basic safety for children as originally planned
The parental allowance not only should not be cancelled, but rather increased to fairly remunerate care work.
This is how the action works
“The Female Company” invites other companies to join the campaign. Here’s how the promotion works:
- The pregnant woman terminates her contract so that it ends at the birth.
- She registered as a jobseeker three months before the birth.
- The pregnant woman signs the reinstatement contract with her employer. A corresponding draft contract will soon be available on the “Better unemployed than childless” website.
- Attention: If you resign, you have a three-month lock-up period for unemployment benefits. However, “The Female Company” pays its pregnant workers a salary equal to maternity benefit and one month’s parental allowance. Three months’ salary equal to the parental allowance is provided for employees.
- Equally important to know: In order to receive unemployment benefits, it must be demonstrated that a weekly working time of 15 hours would be possible and the one-year qualifying period must also be met.
