German Employment Law

COVID-19 Update: Germany to Give Working Parents State-Funded Compensation Claim During Closure of Childcare and Schools

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Deutsch: COVID-19-Krise: FAQ zum neuen Entschädigungsanspruch für berufstätige Eltern nach § 56 Abs. 1a IfSchG

For working parents who are unable to fulfil their working duties due to the closure of kindergarten, day care centre and/or school as a result of the pandemic, the German parliament has passed a new law in a fast-track procedure. The essential aspect under this legislative change is that under certain conditions, affected parents are granted a state-funded compensation claim under the German Infection Protection Act (Infektionsschutzgesetz – IfSchG), which is legally distinct from the contractual remuneration claim. READ MORE →

Market-by-Market Overview: COVID-19 Lockdowns

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We’ve been following COVID-19 around the globe since January when it became clear that the outbreak in Wuhan, China was having broader employment and business implications. Under the general pattern, countries with a few confirmed cases act to contain the spread of the virus through a combination of inbound travel barriers, mandatory isolation/quarantines and aggressive testing and follow up of suspected contacts of the confirmed cases. If the number of new cases become too numerous to source (i.e., people are getting infected in the community), the focus shifts from containment to damage control in a predictable way. Lockdowns are part of that equation – often beginning with school closures, the ban of large gatherings and the cancelation of events, progressing to the closure of an increasing list of “non-essential businesses” and culminating in mandatory stay at home orders. READ MORE →

COVID-19 Update: FAQs on Employment-related Aspects of the Coronavirus Pandemic for Employers in Germany

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Deutsch: COVID-19 Update: FAQs on Employment-related Aspects of the Coronavirus Pandemic for Employers in Germany

The consequences of the spread of the novel coronavirus (Sars-CoV-2) have reached the German labour market. Many companies are daily confronted with new and complex legal questions regarding the handling of coronavirus-related issues in employment relationships.

The following overview shows the most frequently asked questions and answers. READ MORE →

Cross-Border Layoffs in the Wake of the COVID-19 International Pandemic

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As bars, restaurants, theatres, sporting and entertainment events, gyms, casinos, movie theatres, and other establishments shutter globally in response to the COVID-19 pandemic many employers have been forced to consider immediate layoffs of their employees around the world in response to their businesses having been essentially shut down. Other employers, faced with the possibility of a looming global recession, are preparing for potential future international layoffs. Significant pitfalls await employers conducting layoffs (temporary or permanent) outside of the U.S., which are heavily regulated by law, including mandatory severance payments, notice periods and cumbersome processes. We discuss some of these pitfalls for selected countries outside the U.S. including Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Spain and the UK below and discuss some of the early responses by countries like Spain and Germany to create exceptions to the normal requirements. READ MORE →

The Coronavirus in the International Workplace – How do Multinational Employers React Appropriately?

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This updated overview provides multinational employers practical advice to develop their coronavirus response strategy on an international level and to ensure a safe working environment for their employees under local employment and labor laws of UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. Stay tuned for updates as new developments occur.
READ MORE →

COVID-19 Update: Germany to Give Easier Access to State-Funded Short-Time Working Allowance

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On March 13, 2020 the German parliament passed the “law on the crisis-related temporary improvement of the regulations for short-time work allowance” (Gesetz zur befristeten krisenbedingten Verbesserung der Regelungen für das Kurzarbeitergeld) in a fast-track procedure which gives companies easier access to state-funded short- time work allowance (Kurzarbeitergeld) amid the coronavirus outbreak. READ MORE →

The Coronavirus in the International Workplace – How do Multinational Employers React Appropriately?

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This updated overview provides multinational employers practical advice to develop their coronavirus response strategy on an international level and to ensure a safe working environment for their employees under local employment and labor laws of UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. Stay tuned for updates as new developments occur.
READ MORE →

The Coronavirus in the International Workplace – How do Multinational Employers React Appropriately?

, , , , , , , and Posted on

This updated overview provides multinational employers practical advice to develop their coronavirus response strategy on an international level and to ensure a safe working environment for their employees under local employment and labor laws of UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. Stay tuned for updates as new developments occur.

READ MORE →

The Coronavirus in the International Workplace – How Do Multinational Employers React Appropriately?

, , , , , , , , and Posted on

This overview provides multinational employers practical advice to develop their coronavirus response strategy on an international level and to ensure a safe working environment for their employees under local employment and labor laws of Germany, France, Italy, UK and Japan. READ MORE →

Do German Works Councils Have a Say on Company Twitter Accounts?

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The German Federal Labor Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht – BAG) will rule on February 25, 2020 whether an employer must observe co-determination rights of the works council when using a Twitter account. READ MORE →