Employment

In Germany, standard notice periods range from 2 weeks during probation to up to 7 months for employees with 20+ years of service — depending on tenure and employer size.

Unfair dismissal in Germany occurs when an employer terminates an employee with over 6 months’ service without a valid social justification—such as conduct, personal reasons, or urgent operational needs—and fails to follow required procedural and social selection rules.

Yes, but only for serious cause and within strict legal limits — such as gross misconduct — and the employer must act within two weeks of learning about the reason.

A severance payment (Abfindung) in Germany is a one-time financial compensation paid to an employee upon termination of employment, typically ordered by a court under KSchG § 9 when continued employment is unreasonable — not an automatic right after every dismissal.

A change-related dismissal (Änderungskündigung) is when an employer terminates employment but simultaneously offers to continue it under changed conditions — and the employee may accept conditionally, challenging the fairness of those changes.

Yes, you can be dismissed during the probation period in Germany, but only with a two-week notice period and subject to anti-discrimination rules.

Employers in Germany must notify the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) before carrying out mass layoffs — defined as dismissals of specific minimum numbers of employees within 30 days, depending on company size. They must also consult the works council and follow strict procedural rules.

Yes, you can be fired immediately for serious misconduct under German law — but only if it constitutes a 'good cause' and the employer acts within two weeks of learning about it.

Yes, under German law, all employment terminations must be in written form to be valid — electronic forms like email or SMS are not sufficient.

You must file a lawsuit at the labor court within three weeks of receiving the written dismissal notice, claiming the dismissal is socially unjustified or invalid.

Your employment automatically transfers to the new owner under German law, with your existing terms preserved for at least one year — unless you formally object in writing within one month.

No, German law does not require a written employment contract for validity—but your employer must provide key terms in writing within one month of starting work.

Yes, you are legally entitled to a written work reference certificate when your employment ends in Germany.

A temporary (fixed-term) employment contract in Germany ends automatically when its agreed duration expires and is only allowed for objective reasons or up to 2 years with no reason required, under strict limits.

No — German law prohibits dismissal from the start of pregnancy until at least four months after childbirth, provided the employer knows or is notified of the pregnancy or birth within two weeks of termination.

You are legally entitled to at least 24 paid workdays of vacation per calendar year in Germany.

Yes, but only under specific conditions — unused vacation can carry over to the next year if urgent business or personal reasons justify it, and must be taken by March 31 of that year.

As of January 1, 2024, the statutory minimum wage in Germany is €12.41 per hour. It applies to all employees aged 18 and over, with very limited exceptions.

No — your employer cannot unilaterally reduce your salary unless you agree in writing or a valid collective agreement or works council agreement permits it.

In Germany, the standard maximum is 8 hours per workday, but it can be extended to up to 10 hours if the average over 6 months or 24 weeks stays at or below 8 hours.

Yes, under German law, you are entitled to mandatory rest breaks if your workday exceeds six hours.

Yes, your employer must record your daily working hours in Germany, as required by law and confirmed by the Federal Labour Court.

You have the right to be paid for overtime unless your contract waives it — but only if the overtime was ordered, approved, or objectively necessary. Daily working time is capped at 8 hours (up to 10 hours under strict averaging rules).

If you're temporarily unable to work due to illness without fault, you’re entitled to continued pay for a short period under BGB § 616 — but only if the absence is proportionally insignificant (typically up to 5 days). You must offset any statutory sick pay you receive.

A works council (Betriebsrat) is an elected employee representative body in German companies with ≥5 permanent employees; it has co-determination rights on social, personnel, and economic matters.