If you are working but at the same time have to look after a person in need of care, you are entitled to care leave allowance. 

How long are you entitled to care leave allowance?

If you work in a company with more than five employees, you are legally entitled to two to four weeks of care leave or part-time care leave. You can agree an extension during this period. These four weeks count toward the maximum statutory entitlement of three months of care leave or part-time care leave. During the first four weeks, you are protected from dismissal. If you wish to take more than 4 weeks of care leave or part-time care leave, this must be mutually agreed with your employer.

How long are you entitled to family hospice leave?

If you are caring for a dying close relative, you can apply for family hospice leave or part-time family hospice leave for a period of up to six months. If you are supporting a very seriously ill child, the period can be extended – up to a maximum of nine months.

Under what conditions do you receive care leave allowance? 

You receive care leave allowance in the following two situations:

• If you take care leave or family hospice leave and are therefore no longer able to work: You are not receiving a salary during this time.
• If you take part-time care leave or part-time family hospice leave and therefore work fewer hours. You are receiving a reduced salary based on the hours worked. 

As a close relative, you have the right to a care leave allowance under the following conditions: 

• The person in need of care must be entitled to care allowance level 3 or above.
• If the person in need of care suffers from dementia or is a minor, entitlement starts at care allowance level 1 or above.
• You must have been employed for at least three months before starting part-time care leave or part-time family hospice leave – this is important as it ensures full insurance coverage.
• You must declare that you will use the care leave or part-time care leave mainly to care for the person in need of care. (This declaration is not required for family hospice leave or part-time family hospice leave.)

In addition, you need

• a written agreement with your employer that you are taking care leave or part-time care leave, or
• proof that you are entitled to care leave or part-time care leave,
• proof that you are entitled to family hospice leave or part-time family hospice leave or
• a deregistration from unemployment allowance or emergency assistance at the AMS.
   

To the applications

You can apply for care leave benefit online or by submitting a paper application by post. The application must be submitted to the Styrian regional office, which handles all cases from across Austria. The following links will take you to the applications. The checklist for applying for a care leave allowance provides a helpful guide for completing the application: