Recent news

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

Germany: Increasing conflict associated with collective bargaining

So far this year there have been 12 collective negotiations where there has been at least a warning strike …

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

Germany: Manufacturing remains in negative territory (August 2023)

Although the manufacturing PMI slightly improved in August 2023 to 39 …

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

Germany: Termination for improper use of business fuel card

The State Labour Court of Lower Saxony has ruled that an employer may dismiss an employee without prior warning if it is found that they have paid for fuel in respect to their private vehicle with the company card …

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

Germany: Notification of vacancies to works councils

The Cologne Labour Court has ruled that an employer must rigidly comply with statutory obligations before advertising new vacancies …

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

Germany: Training allowances under the spotlight

The Economic and Social Science Institute (WSI) of the Hans Böckler Foundation has looked at the pattern of collective training allowances this year …

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

Germany: Penalty for gathering too much personal data about employees

An employer has been fined a total of €215,000 (US$232,340) for keeping a record of non-essential details about its employees – including about whether they were sympathetic to works councils – to assist with the evaluation of employees during their probationary period …

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

Germany: New guidelines for statutory risk assessments

The Federal Committee for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has just issued new directions for employers concerning pregnant and breastfeeding employees …

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

Germany: Fixed-term employment makes it easier to fill vacancies

The Institute for Labour Market and Occupational Research (IAB) has undertaken a study of the German labour market and found that employers often use fixed-term contracts as a form of extended probation …

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

Germany: Breach of duty during a company event

The Regional Labor Court (LAG) in Düsseldorf has ruled, on appeal, that a company unfairly dismissed a trainee who had shocked fellow colleagues during a boat trip down the Rhine at which alcohol was served all afternoon and evening …

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

Germany: Decline in collective bargaining (1996-2022)

The proportion of employees working for companies covered by collective bargaining fell by 26% in west German states and 23% in east German states over the period from 1996 to 2022 …

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

Germany: Changing jobs market

The latest German labour force survey reveals that less employees have been employed by the same employer for ten years or more and the proportion of full-time workers who work unusually long hours each week is declining …

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

Germany: Data protection scruples do not outweigh substantive concerns about working time fraud

The Federal Labour Court (BAG) has overturned the findings of a lower court which had found video evidence inadmissible on data protection grounds …

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

Germany: Employee legitimately dismissed on basis of suspected working time fraud

The State Labour Court of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has decided, on appeal, that an employer was justified in the dismissal of an employee who had clocked on from home and then again from work to increase total working hours each day …

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

Germany: No redundancy deal between IG Metall and Bosch

The agreement with Bosch Mobility – that part of the overall business concerned with passenger cars, commercial vehicles, two-wheelers, off-highway applications, and ship and rail transport – is due to come into effect on 1st January 2024 and run until 2027 …

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

Germany: Gym membership not tax deductible

Even if attendance at a gym is subject to a doctor’s advice, or even prescription, the costs of it are not necessary reclaimable against tax …

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