2022 has several changes in store for employment law. We outline the top 10 of the most important changes in our Insight. 1. Special regulations on COVID-19 in 2022 The so-called "Corona bonus" of EUR 1,500.00, which can be...more
In Germany, regular works council elections are held every four years, from March 1 through May 31. The next election period will begin shortly, starting on March 1, 2022. Companies should prepare early on for the election...more
Now things are to move quickly. After the prevailing legal view was that most German employers outside the medical and nursing professions could not even ask about their employee's vaccination status, the three political...more
Labor court proceedings are of great importance in Germany. Employees and employers often meet again in court, especially when it comes to the termination of their employment relationship. The German labor court procedure has...more
1. What is Agency Work?
Agency work (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) is a highly regulated business area in Germany and occurs when an employer (Agency) provides a third party (Client) with an employee employed by him, the Agency...more
During the Corona pandemic, bike delivery services experienced a boom in Germany. One provider has been newly listed on the major German stock index DAX, another one is the fastest-growing German unicorn of all times. Major...more
1.1 The Basics
The formation of the employment contract is generally subject to the same requirements as any other contract. There must be an offer and an acceptance (either oral or in writing), an intention to enter into...more
Germany scores well on family friendliness in the workplace. Statutory maternity and parental leave rights provide for a rather complex structure of maternity leave (Mutterschutz), parental leave (Elternzeit), parental...more
This Legal Q&A two pager gives an overview of the potential problems of using contractors and freelancers in Germany, in particular the risk of misclassification. Incorrectly classifying an employee as a contractor can have...more
This Legal Q&A two pager gives an overview of non-compete clauses with a focus on postcontractual non-competes. Non-compete clauses can effectively protect the know-how of companies, especially in the tech sector. But their...more
German employment law provides for rather strong dismissal protection. This is the main reason why more and more employers are hiring employees on a fixed-term basis, since this will in most cases end employment legally...more
Every player interested or already active in the German market needs to have a working knowledge of the key principles of German employment law which offers a good level of protection to employees. This is especially true for...more
The Federal Cabinet has introduced a draft bill to make it easier for employees to establish and elect works councils and to facilitate the works councils’ work in an increasingly digitalized work environment, the...more
Employers in Germany should not underestimate the meaning of reference letters – the German Arbeitszeugnis. German employment law and employment practice provide employers with clear guidelines as to when and how they must...more
Labor court proceedings are of great importance in Germany. Employees and employers often meet again in court, especially when it comes to the termination of their employment relationship. The German labor court procedure has...more
For as long as the threat of infection from COVID-19 remains, businesses will have to maintain a safe and healthy workplace to an increased degree. In order to clarify and sort out the large number of recommendations, the...more
Every player interested or already active in the German market needs to have a working knowledge of the key principles of German employment law which offers a good level of protection to employees. This is especially true for...more
2/25/2021
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
EU ,
Germany ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Maternity Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Parental Leave ,
Remuneration ,
Sick Pay ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
Germany is not exactly known to be a pioneer when it comes to equal pay. In Germany, the pay gap remains particularly large and is only closing slowly, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The Federal Labor Court now...more
On 19 January 2021, the German Chancellor and Federal Prime Ministers passed a new resolution on further measures to combat the Corona pandemic. The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs implemented this resolution in...more
The legal framework for regular work in the mobile office is currently still lacking in Germany—the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs wants to close this gap. The German government coalition parties have always...more
The German Federal Labor Court decided in an eagerly awaited ruling that crowdworkers or microtaskers can be classified as employees under German employment law. The decision will likely have significant impacts for the...more
A few days ago, the much-anticipated official Corona-Warn-App, commissioned by the German government, went live – and has since been downloaded over 10 million times. The goal is to convince as many people as possible to use...more
This Legal Q&A two pager gives an overview of non-compete clauses with a focus on postcontractual non-competes. Non-compete clauses can effectively protect the know-how of companies, especially in the tech sector. But their...more
This Legal Q&A two pager gives an overview of the potential problems of using contractors and freelancers in Germany, in particular the risk of misclassification. Incorrectly classifying an employee as a contractor can have...more
The COVID-19 crisis led to drastic changes in employment. Although measures have been taken by the German legislator and the government to secure jobs, staff cuts appear inevitable for many companies as the crisis progresses....more