Germany: Contract of Employment

In our article Update on AGG Hopping, we provided an overview of the existing case law on “AGG hopping,” which is the practice of filing fake job applications for the sole purpose of rejection in order to file a discrimination under the General Act on Equal Treatment (“AGG”). In its judgment of May 7, 2026 (2 Ca 6536/25), the Düsseldorf Labor Court has now taken a firm stance against a “classic AGG hopper,” expressly departing from the established case law of the German Federal Labor Court.

Germany's Coalition Committee has proposed extending fixed-term employment contracts without objective justification from 24 to 48 months, with up to six extensions permitted. The reform introduces the concept of "renewed initial hiring" and raises critical questions about prior-employment prohibitions, transitional provisions for existing contracts, and the temporal scope of application.

Germany's proposed employment law reform would allow employers to terminate high earners earning above EUR 177,450 annually in exchange for court-determined severance, even after losing unfair dismissal litigation.

The German Coalition Committee has proposed sweeping employment law reforms that could fundamentally alter how companies manage their workforce, from introducing new termination options for high earners to expanding fixed-term employment flexibility. These changes, part of a comprehensive "Program for Growth and Employment," would impact everything from dismissal procedures and severance payments to sick leave documentation and working time regulations. Employers should closely monitor these developments as

In Germany, strikes are a reality across nearly every sector, but not every work stoppage is lawful. When trade unions call industrial action, employers face critical questions about...

CONVINUS provides comprehensive global mobility alerts and newsletters covering international workforce management, immigration regulations, and cross-border employment compliance. These resources deliver timely updates on visa requirements, tax implications...

High sickness rates present significant challenges for employers. Previously, if employers had doubts about an employee's actual incapacity for work, they faced significant challenges due to the high probative value of the certificate of incapacity for work.

The German Federal Labor Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht, or "BAG") has ruled that part-time employees must be treated the same as full-time employees when it comes to overtime pay.

In Germany, approximately 107 new employment contracts are signed every 12 minutes.* That sounds impressive! Even more astonishing is the bureaucratic effort required for each new hire. While we can pay at the grocery store with smartwatches and easily open a bank account from home, employment contracts, parental leave applications, and promotion requests still need to be printed, signed by hand (wet ink), and mailed...