Work-life balance (S1-15)
| Utilization and return after parental leave as of Dec 31 | 2025 | 2024 | Change | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| absolute | % | ||||
| Employees who have taken parental leave (NP) | 5,346 | 5,619 | –273 | –4.9 | 5,582 |
| thereof women | 1,884 | 1,714 | +170 | +9.9 | 1,629 |
| Returnees from parental leave (NP) | 5,097 | 5,443 | –346 | –6.4 | 5,541 |
| thereof women | 1,646 | 1,590 | +56 | +3.5 | 1,595 |
| Return rate 1) (%) | 95.3 | 96.9 | –1.6 | – | 99.3 |
| Men | 99.7 | 98.7 | +1.0 | – | 99.8 |
| Women | 87.4 | 92.8 | –5.4 | – | 97.9 |
| Returnees from parental leave still employed after 12 months (NP) | 4,902 | 4,679 | +223 | +4.8 | 5,017 |
| thereof women | 1,348 | 1,231 | +117 | +9.5 | 1,323 |
| Retention rate 2) (%) | 89.6 | 84.4 | +5.2 | – | 85.1 |
| Men | 91.6 | 87.4 | +4.2 | – | 87.8 |
| Women | 84.6 | 77.2 | +7.4 | – | 78.4 |
Germany (Group companies account for about 98 % of domestic employees).
Since parental leave can last up to three years, it is possible for employees to be recorded for up to four years. This means that the number of employees who returned from parental leave may exceed the number of employees who took parental leave.
1) Employees who have returned after parental leave in relation to employees who have taken parental leave.
2) Employees who were still employed 12 months after their return from parental leave in relation to employees who returned to work in previous reporting periods after parental leave.
The distribution of parental leave taken by men and women also reflects the gender distribution in DB Group in Germany. The return and retention rate of our employees is very high, which also reflects our attractiveness as an employer and our efforts to retain employees.