Employment Germany

Internships do not count towards the probationary period for vocational training

By Dr. Astrid Schnabel LL.M. / 1 December 2015 11 June 2019 / Dismissal, Employment contract, Standard contractual terms and conditions of employment, Termination

A previous internship will not count towards the mandatory probationary period for vocational training in order to effectively shorten the agreed probationary period (judgment of the Federal Labour Court, Bundesarbeitsgericht, BAG, dated 19 November 2015, docket number 6 AZR 844/14). Traditionally, many professions in Germany require a formal vocational training program which commonly takes three …

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Employee data protection – an increasingly onerous task?

By Rodrigo Weihermann / 26 October 2015 11 June 2019 / Data Protection

In Brussels, the EU Commission, the Council and the Parliament are currently negotiating the final version of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in what is known as the trilogue discussions. Whilst there are still considerable differences between the three drafts in play one thing is sure: together with the individual fines, reputational implications for …

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Second chance by termination

By Dr. Isabel Schäfer / 21 August 2015 11 June 2019 / Dismissal, Termination

The Higher Labor Court Baden-Württemberg (Landesarbeitsgericht Baden-Württemberg) ruled on 6 May 2015 (ref. no. 4 Sa 94/14) that a termination in the probationary period according to the German Employment Dismissal Act, which extends the applicable notice period, cannot be considered an unlawful circumvention of dismissal protection, where the intention is to give the employee another …

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Corporate Email Correspondence As Admissible Evidence?

By Dr. Bernd Borgmann LL.M. / 3 June 2015 11 June 2019 / Data Protection

The legal boundaries regarding the screening of an employee’s corporate email account and questions concerning the admissibility of those emails as evidence in court (eg in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit) have not been finally resolved. No express evidence exclusion rule is laid down by law, either in the Civil Code or in the Labour Court …

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Too short a notice period will not render a termination null and void

By Saskia MacLaughlin / 14 April 2015 11 June 2019 / Dismissal, Employment contract, Standard contractual terms and conditions of employment, Termination

Even if an employment contract invalidly provides for a notice period of two days and the employer subsequently issues a termination with a two-day notice period, this will not render a termination null and void. The Hamm Higher Regional Labour Court (Landesarbeitsgericht, LAG) was called to rule on the validity of a termination in the …

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Ins and Outs of Bonus and Commission Payments – Part I

By Dr. Kai Bodenstedt LL.M. / 8 April 2015 11 June 2019 / Benefits, Bonus Payments, Remuneration, Standard contractual terms and conditions of employment

Employers may grant their employees bonuses in addition to fixed basic salary for a variety of reasons, for example, to reward performance, loyalty to the company or just as a Christmas gratuity. In this context different questions arise. This two-part post addresses the most common questions regarding bonus and commission payments. What are the …

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Independent contractor or employee – That is the question.

By Dr. Isabel Schäfer / 2 April 2015 11 June 2019 / Employment contract, Independent contractor

Time and again the question arises whether an individual is employed as an independent contractor or as an employee. Under German law there is a thin line between an employee, ie someone who performs services under an employment contract, and an independent contractor, ie someone who performs services on an independent basis. The distinction is …

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Reform of the German Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act

By Dr. Astrid Schnabel LL.M. / 1 December 2014 19 February 2020 / Maternity Leave, Parental Leave

German law allows employees to go on paid parental leave in addition to mandatory paid maternity leave after childbirth. Until now, the German Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act (Bundeselterngeld- und Elternzeitgesetz, BEEG) provided for a parental allowance for a maximum duration of 12 months of paid parental leave (14 months if the other parent …

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Ins and Outs re Notice Periods and Fixed-Term Contracts

By Julia Tilkorn / 28 October 2014 11 June 2019 / Employment contract, Fixed-term employment

Fixed-Term Contracts under German Law In Thursday’s blog, we talked about notice periods under German law. Today’s contribution will focus on fixed-term employment contracts. Can a fixed-term contract be concluded orally? No, the specific duration of the employment contract needs to be put in writing, with employer and employee signing. Oral agreements will lead to …

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Ins and Outs re. Notice Periods and Fixed-Term Employment

By Julia Tilkorn / 23 October 2014 11 June 2019 / Dismissal

Employment relationships may end for various reasons. Two of the most common reasons are termination by either party or the end of a fixed-term contract. An employment contract may be terminated by either the employer or the employee by observing the applicable notice period. Employment contracts may also be concluded for a fixed-term. If the …

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Notice Periods May Be Tied to Years of Service

By Dr. Astrid Schnabel LL.M. / 19 September 2014 11 June 2019 / Discrimination, Dismissal, Equal Treatment, Termination

In a judgment dated September 18, 2014, the Federal Labour Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht, BAG) ruled that seniority-related notice periods are not discriminatory on grounds of age (docket number: 6 AZR 636/13). This judgment settles a long-term bone of contention with regard to the impact of equal treatment law on dismissal protection provisions. Sec. 622 of the …

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What happens to accumulated vacation entitlements when switching from full to part-time work?

By Volker von Alvensleben / 14 August 2014 11 June 2019 / Holidays

On June 11, 2014 the Higher Labour Court of Lower Saxony (Landesarbeitsgericht – LAG) dealt with the disadvantageous recalculation of unused accrued annual vacation when switching from full-time to part-time work. In accordance with a recent decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the court held that when employees change their working hours from …

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The heat is on….are employees entitled to “Hitzefrei”?

By Dr. Isabel Schäfer / 29 July 2014 11 June 2019 / Holidays, Remuneration

The temperature in Germany has been above 25 °C (77°F) for the past few weeks and many employees might wonder whether they are entitled to a day off due to the excessive heat (“hitzefrei” as it is called in Germany). According to Sec. 3 of the Labour Protection Act (Arbeitsschutzgesetz, ArbSchG), the employer is obligated …

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The Ins and Outs of German Vacation Time and Vacation Pay

By Dr. Bernd Borgmann LL.M. / 6 June 2014 11 June 2019 / Benefits, Company Practice, Equal Treatment, Holidays, Remuneration, Temporary Workers, Works Council

As we approach summer many employers start to intensify their staff’s vacation planning. Vacation regulations in Germany are not as straightforward as many employers might think. Today’s blog therefore aims to provide a basic overview on German vacation rules for employers. How much vacation pay and time are employees entitled to? Starting off with the …

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Use it or lose it? Can employees carry over vacation beyond March 31?

By Saskia MacLaughlin / 4 April 2014 11 June 2019 / Holidays

As March 31 is a key date for the expiry of holiday entitlement in Germany, we want to provide you with a short update regarding holiday entitlements under German law. Pursuant to the Federal Vacation Act (Bundesurlaubsgesetz, BUrlG) every employee is entitled to a minimum of 24 paid days of vacation based on a 6 …

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