Once it is clear care will be needed for a while, the law offers two instruments: full leave for up to six months and reduced hours for up to two years. Both require written notice within a deadline, and both depend on the size of the business.
Longer care: leave of up to six and up to twenty-four months
For longer-term care the law provides full leave for up to six months and reduced hours for up to twenty-four. The notice periods are strict.
✓ Verified: 01/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
I assumed a verbal heads-up a week ahead would do. Written notice within the deadline was required — the start slipped by a month because of it.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
Ask HR about the headcount straight away. It decides whether the right exists at all, and that is better learned before the family conversation.
Useful Tools
- Pflegeberatung care
Care advice: helps apply for a care level and choose services. Free for insured people by law.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do the two formats differ? ▾
One grants full or partial leave for up to six months; the other reduces working time over a longer period of up to twenty-four months while keeping a minimum level of employment. They can be combined, but the total duration is capped.
Does this apply in every workplace? ▾
No, the right depends on the size of the business, and exceptions apply to small employers. Check the headcount before making plans — this is where expectations most often collapse.
How much notice is required? ▾
The law sets notice periods, and they differ between the two formats. Notification is in writing stating the period and extent; missing the deadline pushes back the start.
Is my job protected? ▾
Yes, special protection against dismissal applies during the leave. It begins in advance and runs to the end of the period; dismissal during that time is possible only in exceptional cases with official consent.