Mothers Take Most Sick-Child Leave in Germany

Mothers take sick-child leave far more often than fathers

New figures from the Barmer statutory health insurer confirm that mothers take sick-child leave far more often than fathers, a pattern that has hardly shifted in two years. In 2024 women filed 296,000 applications for the benefit, while men submitted only 109,000. Barmer processed a similar imbalance in 2023, logging 297,000 claims from mothers versus 108,000 from fathers. Barmer chief executive Christoph Straub says the numbers expose the enduring gender gap in caregiving despite policy changes designed to share the load.

The statutory scheme pays 90 percent of lost net wages when parents must stay home with an ill son or daughter under twelve. Since January 2024 each parent may claim up to fifteen compensated days per child—an increase from ten—while single parents qualify for thirty. Families with more than two children may draw thirty-five days per adult, and lone parents up to seventy. Even with this broader safety net, the reliance on mothers remains pronounced.

Gender gap in sick-child leave persists

Barmer’s accounting shows 877,000 compensated caregiving days in 2024, of which 648,000—more than seventy percent—were used by mothers. Fathers accounted for just 229,000 days. The split was nearly identical in 2023, when 663,000 of 890,000 payout days went to women. Health-fund statisticians note that the insurer covers 8.3 million people nationwide, offering a representative view of working-age households.

Experts link the persistence of unequal leave to workplace culture and household economics. Many couples still organise employment so that the higher earner—often the father—remains at work, while the lower earner accepts interruptions. As a result mothers take sick-child leave even in families that formally support equal careers. Researchers stress that the pattern reinforces income gaps over time because repeated absences slow promotions and dent pension accruals.

Wider entitlements fail to close the caregiving divide

Lawmakers expanded paid sick-child leave in response to pandemic disruptions and lobbying by family organisations. The change was expected to encourage fathers to share care by giving each parent individual allotments rather than a pooled quota. Early data, however, suggest men have not increased their uptake proportionally. Social-policy analysts say awareness campaigns, employer incentives and flexible scheduling remain crucial if fathers are to use their statutory days.

Although parents can now split leave across separate dates—such as two days in a five-day week—human-resources officers report that men still hesitate to request time off for brief illnesses. Some fear negative performance reviews, while others cite team pressures during labour shortages. Unions argue that only visible male role-models and management support will normalise fathers’ absence for childcare.

Why mothers still shoulder most care duties

Surveys by family researchers mirror Barmer’s numbers: mothers carry the bulk of informal childcare even in dual-earner households. Cultural expectations, wage disparities and part-time patterns form a feedback loop that keeps women on call when children are ill. Employers add to the cycle when they offer flexible hours mainly to mothers, reinforcing an image of fathers as secondary carers.

Policy specialists recommend targeted reforms, including incentives for fathers who use the full fifteen days and penalties for companies that discourage gender-balanced leave. They also urge expanding high-quality day-care with medically trained staff, reducing the number of workdays parents must spend at home, and revising tax rules that favour single-breadwinner models. Without such steps the imbalance in sick-child leave is likely to persist.

Toward equal care responsibilities

Germany’s government wants fathers to take a larger share of parental duties, arguing that equal care boosts female employment and household resilience. The sick-child leave data, however, indicate that legislation alone cannot overturn ingrained practices. Analysts predict that progress will depend on corporate culture, collective bargaining and ongoing public debate about what modern fatherhood entails.

The next evaluation of the scheme is due early next year. If mothers continue to account for more than two-thirds of paid caregiving days, policymakers may revisit proposals to allocate non-transferable sick-child quotas or link employer subsidies to balanced usage. For now, the headline remains clear: mothers take sick-child leave—an inequality that outlasts every statutory tweak.