Parental leave program for (post)doctoral researchers

Why was the parental leave model developed?

The Faculty's parental leave model for (post)doctoral researchers (officially known as the BWLternzeitmodell) aims to improve the balance between family life and academic work in the Faculty while ensuring planning security for positions attached to a professorship. Many research associates decide to start a family during their doctoral research, and are entitled to statutory maternal and/or parental leave. 

Faculties already have the option of hiring temporary replacements for research associates on leave, but factors such as the long training periods required in teaching and research can lead to increased organizational demand at institutional level. Due to the relatively short contracts involved, maternity/parental replacement positions are not particularly attractive, and applicants are largely unlikely to hold a doctorate. This can have a negative influence on the quality of potential replacements. The BWLternzeitmodell aims to strike a balance between individual and institutional needs.

How does it work?

Upon application and within specific criteria, each professorship can establish one position in the faculty-level parental leave pool for one research associate, as defined in Section 28 subsections 1 and 2 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act (HmbHG). The working time share of the new position must correspond to that of the replaced member of staff. The research associates remain in that pool until a suitable fixed-term research position funded out of the University’s budget (known as a “Landesmittelstelle”) becomes available. Transfer to the parental leave pool only affects the HR administration of the position; research associates continue to report to the relevant professorship. This transfer to the faculty level also frees up capacity for the professorship and allows it to offer a replacement position with the same part-positions and a contract duration that complies with the Code of Conduct. It prevents staff shortages within the professorship and even improves the overall situation: when the parent returns from leave, the contract of their replacement is usually still in force (cf. diagram).