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Employment Germany

burden of proof

Occupational health and safety standards as a limit to the employer’s right to issue instructions

By / 11 June 2019 / burden of proof, Change of job position, Conduct Related Dismissal, Dismissal, Health, instructions

The allocation of a job which does not meet the requirements of Sec. 618 para. 1 German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, BGB) in conjunction with the public occupational health and safety standards may nevertheless correspond to the employer’s equitable discretion if it concerns only minor or short-term infringements which cannot cause lasting damage. This is what the German Federal Labor Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht, BAG) decided in its judgement of 28 June 2018, docket number 2 AZR …

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Legal Useability of Recordings from Open Video Surveillance

By / 11 June 2019 / burden of proof, Data Protection

By its decision of 23 August 2018 the Federal Labor Court (docket number 2 AZR 133/18) facilitated video surveillance at the workplace. Legally and openly created recordings do not have to be deleted by the employer within a few days. According to the Federal Labor Court, they can be evaluated several months later. Under data protection law employers are in principle entitled to use video cameras to publicly monitor accessible sales areas in order to …

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Addressing applicants “who are about to graduate”, asking for “very good German and English language skills” as well as a description of being a “young, dynamic company” is in general non-discriminatory

By / 11 June 2019 / burden of proof, Compliance, Discrimination, Equal Treatment

On 23 November 2017 the Federal Labour Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht, BAG) ruled in two parallel proceedings, each with the same plaintiff, on compensation claims for an alleged infringement of the principle of non-discrimination under the General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, AGG) on the basis of two job advertisements. The first position required a completed degree, or that the applicant was about to graduate, as well as very good German and English language skills (docket number …

Addressing applicants “who are about to graduate”, asking for “very good German and English language skills” as well as a description of being a “young, dynamic company” is in general non-discriminatory Read More »

Termination only on the basis of suspicion – Basics and difficulties

By / 11 June 2019 / burden of proof, Dismissal, Termination

We recently reported on third parties’ pressure to terminate an employee in our blog. This time, too, we would like to take a current judgment (Federal Labour Court of Germany (“Bundesarbeitsgericht”) from 2.3.2017, docket number 2 AZR 698/15) as an opportunity to report on a further special possible termination: a termination based only on suspicion of unacceptable behavior. German law also permits dismissal on grounds of suspected unlawful or unacceptable behavior (if it is a …

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Inadmissible evidence through installation of a keylogger

By / 11 June 2019 / burden of proof, Conduct Related Dismissal, Data Protection, Dismissal, Termination

Using a software keylogger may not always be much help in supporting a termination for cause, as a recent case before the Federal Labour Court shows (judgment dated 27 July 2017, docket number 2 AZR 681/16). The employee had worked for the employer since 2011. When opening up its network, the company informed employees that internet and software use would be monitored. The company monitored keyboard use and also produced screenshots regularly. As a result …

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New Act on Remuneration Transparency

By / 11 June 2019 / burden of proof, Compliance, Discrimination, Equal Treatment, Government/Politics, Legislation, Remuneration, Uncategorized

Following up our blog post from December 19, 2016 where we reported about a legislative proposal to promote equal pay between women and men, the Remuneration Transparency Act has now entered into force. Arguing that women still earn 7 % less than men even if statistics account for women frequently working part-time, less often climbing up the career ladder and rather working in social professions with lower salaries, the German Government felt that at least …

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