Overview

• From June 1, women who miscarry after 13 weeks can claim two weeks of mandated leave, increasing to six weeks after 17 weeks and eight weeks after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
• The law covers employees, civil servants, soldiers and self-employed women with statutory health insurance.
• Affected women can opt out of the recovery period if they choose to return to work earlier.
• The legislation follows three years of advocacy by Natascha Sagorski and secured bipartisan approval in both the Bundestag and Bundesrat.
• The coalition vows to extend protection to all self-employed women, but critics highlight that losses before week 13—when most miscarriages occur—remain excluded.