A Complete Guide to Caring for a Family Member: Rights, Care, and Support

This article about Caring for a family member applies only to the Czech Republic.

Caring for a family member is a topic that eventually touches nearly everyone. Whether you’re looking after young children, elderly parents, or supporting a partner or another loved one, it is a challenge that can arise at various stages of life. Fortunately, Czech law provides multiple ways to manage this responsibility, including leave from work, caregiving allowances, and other benefits. Let’s explore what options are available and how to make the most of them!

When Am I Eligible for Family Care Leave?

To qualify for caregiving allowance (often referred to as “care leave”), you must meet several conditions. The key factors are your relationship with the person you’re caring for and their health status. Eligibility arises if you are caring for:

• A child under the age of 10 who is ill, injured, or needs care due to quarantine.
• A spouse, provided a doctor confirms their need for care.
• Another household member, such as a parent, grandparent, or sibling, provided you live together and a doctor certifies the need for care.

For children older than 10 (including adolescents and adults), caregiving allowance typically does not apply unless they have a severe disability or rely on assistance from another person. In other words, you can claim the allowance for individuals with whom you have a familial or household relationship, and where a doctor confirms your help is essential.

Duration and Amount of Support

The caregiving allowance is provided by the Czech Social Security Administration (ČSSZ). To claim it, you must be employed and paying sickness insurance. If you work under an agreement to perform work (DPP) or an agreement on work activities (DPČ) without contributing to sickness insurance, you are not eligible. The goal of this benefit is to compensate employees for lost wages due to work absence.

You can typically claim caregiving allowance for up to 9 calendar days, or 16 calendar days if you’re a single parent. The benefit amounts to 60% of your daily assessment base, which is your gross wage recalculated according to ČSSZ’s rules. During this leave, the Labor Code protects you from losing your job.

How to Apply for Caregiving Allowance

To claim caregiving leave and the allowance, you’ll need a doctor’s certification known as a “Decision on the Need for Care.” Most doctors now submit these certifications electronically to ČSSZ, meaning you don’t need to print or hand-deliver anything. The doctor will likely provide you with a reference number or confirmation, which you then share with your employer. Most employers communicate directly with ČSSZ, minimizing paperwork. If your doctor does not use electronic tools, they will issue a paper form that you must submit to your employer, who will forward it to ČSSZ.

Caring for a Family Member Outside Your Permanent Residence

Permanent residence can sometimes play a role in assessing eligibility for caregiving allowance, but it is not decisive. The law focuses on whether you share a household with the person in need of care. This means living together and sharing a household (economically and practically). For instance, if you are caring for parents who live elsewhere but you regularly stay with them and provide care, you may still qualify for the allowance. The critical factor is that a doctor confirms your care is necessary and includes this in the application documents.

What If Your Loved One Needs Care for Longer Than 9 Days?

In such cases, long-term caregiving leave allows you to care for a family member for up to 90 calendar days. This is particularly useful for recovery after major surgeries or serious injuries. Introduced to support extended caregiving, this benefit ensures financial security and eliminates the need for unpaid leave. Even better, family members can take turns providing care, making it a flexible solution for recovery support.

Long-Term Family Care: When You Need More Time

If caregiving needs extend beyond 90 days, further extension is not standardly allowed. After exhausting long-term caregiving leave, you have several options. For instance, you can negotiate unpaid leave with your employer. The Labor Code allows for leave to care for a family member, with the length determined by mutual agreement. Alternatively, you could explore part-time work or flexible hours.

Be sure to apply for the care allowance, which helps cover caregiving costs, whether provided by family members or professional caregivers. The allowance amount depends on the level of dependence (I to IV). If you provide the care personally, the allowance can be paid directly to you. Other forms of support include state social support benefits, mobility allowances, or assistive devices if your loved one has limited mobility.

If family-based care becomes unmanageable, consider professional home care or other caregiving services. These services are partially state-funded and can significantly ease the daily caregiving burden. Alternatives include respite services or residential facilities that can provide care.

Caring for a Family Member Abroad: Examples from Germany

If you work in Germany and need to care for a family member living in the Czech Republic, the situation can become complex. However, thanks to the coordination of European social security systems, you may still claim caregiving benefits in Germany. This means that even if your loved one resides in the Czech Republic, you can access German caregiving benefits with the appropriate documentation.

On the other hand, if you’re caring for a family member directly in Germany, you may utilize the Pflegezeit, a German equivalent of caregiving leave. This ensures your right to leave with wage compensation under German regulations. Legislation varies depending on where you provide care, but European rules offer flexibility and support in both cases.

Hassle-Free Care Leave with Sloneek!

Sloneek provides smart and intuitive tools to manage all types of absences, including caregiving leave. With just a few clicks, everything is recorded without unnecessary complications. This keeps you up-to-date with the current situation, eliminating the need for manual records or searching for information. With Sloneek, managing caregiving leave is a breeze, allowing you to focus on what truly matters.