Fixed Term Research Contracts Act

The Fixed-Term Research Contracts Act (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz, WissZeitVG) sets forth the provisions applicable to research staff at institutes of higher education and non-university research institutions. The act, which came into effect in 2007, improved the options available for balancing caring for children with working in research. It allows employees on fixed-term employment contracts to extend their contract by up to two years for each of the children they care for.

Extension of qualification phase:

The permissible length of fixed-term contracts in the qualification phase for research staff is extended by two years per child if the researcher cares for a child/children under the age of 18.
This applies to both parents if they are both in the qualification phase at the same time.
The extension is not granted automatically. Employees have to apply and inform their employer accordingly.

Extension of fixed-term employment contracts:

Fixed-term employment contracts for research staff are extended pursuant to WissZeitVG (provided employees agree) by:
- the time taken as leave or during which hours were reduced (by at least one fifth of the regular working hours) in order to look after or care for one or more children under the age of 18 or other relatives requiring care.
- the time taken as parental leave according to the Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act and periods of time in which employees were prohibited from working and did not work pursuant to the Maternity Protection Act.