Study: Three out of four child sick days fall to mothers

When a child is sick and has to stay home in Germany, it is still usually the mother who stays away from work. An analysis by AOK shows that 73 percent of so-called "child sick" days last year fell to women. This puts Lower Saxony at the national level – the gender-specific inequality is therefore not a regional phenomenon, but a nationwide pattern.

The figures highlight a structural problem: three out of four child sick days are borne by mothers, while fathers far less frequently interrupt their employment to care for sick children. This has long-term consequences for women's career prospects and financial independence. Those who regularly step out of their careers risk wage losses, miss advancement opportunities, and accumulate fewer pension points.

Fathers slowly catching up

However, a more differentiated picture emerges when looking at developments: fathers are catching up in the number of child sick days, as the AOK Institute observes. This suggests that the division of roles – albeit slowly – is beginning to shift. Nevertheless, the share of fathers remains far behind that of mothers. The reasons are manifold: social expectations, economic incentives (fathers often earn more and can less afford a loss of income) and lack of flexible work models play a role.

The study underscores that sick children in Germany are still treated as a "women's issue". As long as this perception does not change and employers and social insurance providers do not actively counteract it, the inequality will not change significantly. Experts therefore call for more flexibility for both parents and a cultural shift towards genuine partnership in childcare.