The private use of internet and e-mail despite a corresponding prohibition during working hours on company devices can justify termination without notice under German labour law the Higher Regional Labour Court of Cologne ruled on 7 February 2020 (docket number: 4 Sa 329/19). The case An employee of a company had written several e-mails and …
The problem Around 20% of all dismissals of employees are subject to legal action. Therefore it is reasonable that employers want to make sure that dismissals are legally sound. One of the most important points in such lawsuits is whether the letter of notice has reached the employee, since the employer must not only prove …
1. The Problem There are many jobs that require excellent mental or physical fitness. If this fitness is no longer maintained, the question often arises as to whether the employment relationship can still be maintained. This was also the problem in a case decided by the Federal Labour Court (docket number: 7 AZR 292/17) on …
The problem Equal treatment is not only becoming more and more important since #metoo a few years ago, but has influenced the European Union for nearly 20 years. On June 2000 the Council Directive 2000/43/ implemented the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin into European Law. Since then more …
On 13 June 2019, the Federal Labour Court (docket number 6 AZR 459/18) ruled that a mass dismissal notification can be effectively filed even if the employer has already taken the decision to terminate the employment relationships at the time of its receipt by the Employment Agency. In the event of mass dismissals and subject to …
With its judgment dated 6 June 2018 (docket number 21 Sa 48/17), the Higher Regional Labor Court of Baden-Wurttemberg (Landesarbeitsgericht Baden-Württemberg) found that an employer may use evidence proving an employee’s breach of a contractual duty against the employee, even though the evidence had only been accidentally discovered during a search of the employee’s IT-equipment. …
With its judgment dated 21 August 2018, the Higher Regional Labour Court of Baden-Wurttemberg (Landesarbeitsgericht Baden-Württemberg) decided that the dismissal of an employee as part of a mass redundancy is invalid if the notice of termination is signed prior to receipt of the mass dismissal notification to the authority. The time of the receipt of …
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 …
On 21 March 2018, the state labor court of Schleswig-Holstein ruled that a valid “dismissal on suspicion” (“Verdachtskündigung”) requires that the affected employee had been granted a reasonable time period to give a statement regarding the accusations (docket number 3 Sa 398/17). A “dismissal on suspicion” is void if the employer issues the notice of …
On 7 July 2017 the State Labour Court in Cologne (docket number 4 Sa 936/16) decided that a strong suspicion that an incapacity for work is feigned, is sufficient to justify a termination for good cause, in the course of a dismissal on grounds of suspicion, even though a certificate of incapacity exists. In general …
Extraordinary termination due to feigning incapacity for work Read More »
On 29 June 2017 the Federal Labour Court decided that a serious threat of committing suicide or to run amok can be a compelling reason to terminate an employment relationship for cause with immediate effect if the employee thereby seeks to exert pressure on the employer (docket number 2 AZR 47/16). The employee and later …
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 …
Termination only on the basis of suspicion – Basics and difficulties Read More »
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 …
Inadmissible evidence through installation of a keylogger Read More »
In its judgment dated 12 April 2017 (docket number 3 Sa 202/16), the Higher Regional Labour Court of Schleswig Holstein found that activities for a competitor during an employee’s notice period may justify an immediate termination for cause. Under the employment contract, the employee had committed not to hold any shares of a company in …
Competing activities during notice period can justify an immediate termination for cause Read More »
The German right of termination is known to be quite strict. A reason for termination is always necessary. It is herefore surprising that such a reason exists even if third parties exert pressure on the employer to terminate the contract (“Druckkündigung”). The basics are presented below. By judgment of 15.12.2016 ( docket number 2 AZR …
Special case of termination protection: Third parties’ pressure to terminate an employee Read More »
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