Recent news

Latest items of recent news relevant to Germany as reported in our fortnightly newswire ‘Dernières nouvelles’.

Germany: Government to raise minimum hourly wage to €10.45 by July 2022

The minimum hourly wage will be gradually increased – over four stages – from the current €9 …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Works council has no permanent right of inspection for personnel files

The State Labour Court in Düsseldorf has found that the Chairman of a works council does not have the right to access electronic personnel files without an employee´s permission …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Employer can be liable for financial damages caused to an employee due to delayed payment of salaries

The Regional Labour Court in Düsseldorf has ruled that an employer must be accountable for the consequences of the late payment of salaries, where they impact the calculation of a State provided allowance (12 Sa 716/19 v …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Unlawful incentive to forego vacation

A new legal concept could soon enter into the HR vocabulary – an “unlawful incentive to forego vacation” …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Employee data protection

The new Advisory Council on Employee Data Protection established by the Federal Ministry of Labour has just begun to hold its first meetings …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Proportion of women on supervisory boards

The proportion of women on supervisory boards (SB) covered by the legal requirement to follow quotas grew from 25% in 2015 to 35 …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Job protection for pregnant starters

Under Section 17 (1) of the Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG), there is a complete ban on terminating the employment of pregnant women and new mothers …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Berlin passes first German state anti-discrimination law

Berlin has become the first German Länder (state) to pass its own discrimination law …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Daily recording of working time

Last year, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) directed employers to set up a system for the daily recording of working time (No …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Government approves value-added tax cut to revive economy

Borders with Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Denmark have now been opened, and air traffic restrictions – both ways – with Spain will end on 21st June 2020 …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Industrial production dropped a record 18% in April 2020

The Federal statistics agency has reported that over the year to April 2020, industrial production fell by just over 25%, with a fall of 18% in April alone …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Consultation for minor home work changes

Employers in Germany will be aware of the Works Constitution Act and particularly Section 99, which sets out the powers of the Works Council in respect to job and organisational changes in companies with 20+ employees …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Bill for the Work of Tomorrow

The Federal Council has approved the “Work of Tomorrow” law approved by the Bundestag …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Two stage dismissal issue

The District Court in Osnabrück has helped to resolve a long-standing problem under German law …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.

Germany: Health apps now available on prescription

Employers should take note that from 2020, doctors and psychotherapists are able to prescribe medical “Apps” as if they were pharmaceutical products …

Please login to view this content or become a member by joining now.