Recent news
Latest items of recent news relevant to Germany as reported in our fortnightly newswire ‘Dernières nouvelles’.
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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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Germany: IFO Institute predicts year of mild recession
This highly regarded research organisation in Munich has forecast that the German economy will contract by 0 …
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Germany: Headsets are not monitoring devices – hence no codetermination
If an employer uses the services of an employee to attain work objectives in return for fair and equitable reward then it is wholly illogical and inappropriate that they should be prevented from monitoring the actions of individuals in meeting those objectives …
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Germany: Points-based immigration system approved
In an attempt to attract skilled migrants, the German Bundestag has voted to establish new rules that will make it especially easy for those outside the EU/EEA to take up residence and also bring with them their dependants …
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Germany: Further calls from the left for collective agreements to be generally binding
As the next round of collective bargaining gets underway in retailing it threatens to become the battleground over which both immediate pay demands and the longer-term determination of sectoral pay is fought …
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