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Equity Unit
Equity Unit

Photo: UHH/Vogiatzis

Overlap period for statutory maternity leave / parental leave replacements

One-month overlap funding can be provided for statutory maternity leave or parental leave to train the replacement and to (re)train the returning female academic (postdoctoral researchers and professors) before and after statutory maternity leave periods:

  • before statutory maternity leave and after parental leave periods of at least 6 months (if parental leave follows directly on from maternity leave, the period of maternity leave is counted toward parental leave)
  • before and after parental leave periods of at least 6 months.

The permitted duration of the necessary training period is not regulated by law and depends, in particular, on the tasks to be performed, the replacing person’s prior knowledge, and the duration of the cover period. A decision on the time frame for the overlap periods is made on a case-by-case basis.

The measure is currently intended only for postdoctoral researchers and female professors. The University of Hamburg’s internal cover rules must be observed.

The overlap periods are financed as a measure to promote gender equality structures using funds provided by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR)’s program for female professors 

Application for female professors (civil servants)

In addition to an application for replacement during the overlap periods, civil servants must submit an additional application for maternity leave cover from the University of Hamburg Equal Opportunity Fund.

The Equity Unit is responsible for financing the overlap period and maternity leave cover. The same person must be appointed as a replacement for the overlapping periods, statutory maternity leave, and parental leave.

The informal application must be addressed to the University’s equal opportunity commissioner, Dr. Angelika Paschke-Kratzin, and can be submitted as a signed PDF to chancengerechtigkeit"AT"uni-hamburg.de. It must contain the following information: 

  • Period of cover (start of statutory maternity leave and expected end date)
  • Period of overlap (before the statutory maternity leave and after at least 6 months of parental leave, or before and after at least 6 months of parental leave)
  • Professional situation of the post holder (exact position, as well as start and end date of contract, if applicable)
  • Details of the desired replacement (type and scope of position; the replacement is usually hired as a salaried employee).

If the maternity leave is longer or shorter than expected, this is irrelevant for the assumption of costs: payment is made for the entire period of actual maternity leave.

Application for postdoctoral researchers

The informal application should be addressed to the University’s equal opportunities officer, Dr. Angelika Paschke-Kratzin, and can be submitted as a signed PDF to chancengerechtigkeit"AT"uni-hamburg.de. It must contain the following information: 

  • Period of overlap (before the statutory maternity leave and after at least 6 months of parental leave, or before and after at least 6 months of parental leave)
  • Professional situation of the post holder (exact position, as well as start and end date of contract, if applicable)
  • Details of the desired replacement (type and scope of position; the replacement is usually hired as a salaried employee).

After the application is submitted

After the Equity Unit has reviewed the application, the applicant will receive a letter of approval, which must be attached to the hiring application. The Unit will send a copy of the funding confirmation to HR. For this purpose, the applicant must provide the contact person’s information to the Equity Unit.

The hiring application for the replacement is submitted via SharePoint and must be approved by the equal opportunity commissioner as the resource manager. The applicant will receive all funding information required for the hiring from the colleagues responsible in the Equity Unit (chancengerechtigkeit"AT"uni-hamburg.de).