New-parent-time or "Elternzeit" can be up to 12 months. I believe that the state pays the "Elterngeld", not the employer. The fact remains that you lose an emp

New-parent-time or "Elternzeit" can be up to 12 months. I believe that the state pays the "Elterngeld", not the employer. The fact remains that you lose an employee for up to 12 months, and you have to take them back into their previous position afterwards. Compounding the problem for the employer, is the fact that fathers are also entitled to the same amount of time. Both parents can share 14 months Elternzeit, so both parents cannot take 12 months off each, but they can take 7 months each either together or consecutively. So the father could technically take 12 months off. Therefore, avoiding hiring women is not a valid strategy (and it shouldn't be either).