Elterngeld with Multiple Jobs

If you have multiple jobs, here's the key rule: Everything adds up. Both for the 32-hour limit and for income calculation.

Main job (20 hours) + Minijob (15 hours) = 35 hours total → Over the 32-hour limit → No Elterngeld for that month.

Your Elterngeld is calculated based on your total income from all jobs in the 12 months before birth.

This is usually good news – more jobs meant more income, which means higher Elterngeld.

During Elterngeld, income from all jobs also counts toward the offset (reducing your payment).

If you want to keep working at multiple jobs during Elterngeld:

1. Add up ALL your hours – they must total 32 or less per week 2. Consider which job(s) to reduce or pause 3. Talk to each employer about your plans

Remember: Going even slightly over 32 hours means losing the entire month's Elterngeld.

Many parents find it easier to pause the Minijob or second job entirely during Elterngeld. This:

• •Eliminates risk of accidentally going over hours
• •Simplifies tracking and paperwork
• •May result in more Elterngeld (less income offset)

Of course, this depends on your financial situation and whether you can afford to pause the extra income.