Labor law - vdma.org

An updated version of the online edition of the laws that must be posted on June 1, 2025 has been published in the GDA Employers' Library.

A probationary period termination can be classified as contrary to good faith due to contradictory behavior if the takeover was previously promised.

Women who suffer a miscarriage from the 13th week of pregnancy have been subject to maternity protection since June 1, 2025.

In a FAQ, the EU Commission has clarified what the AI Regulation (AI Act) means by AI competence and what obligations apply to the operators of AI systems.

Forwarding of personal employee data by works council member via private email account justifies exclusion from works council

The newly formed government wants to maintain the voluntary nature of military service. In addition, it plans to further strengthen the reserve and homeland security and to better anchor them structurally and socially.

Compensation after loss of control of data

Disclosure of health data by employers can lead to compensation.

Companies in Germany urgently need relief, also in terms of labor market regulations. Switching to a maximum weekly working time would be an important step towards more flexibility.

Current labor law and political decisions present companies with new challenges - an overview of the most important changes and practical recommendations for implementation.

Strengthen the resilience of your company. Our series of events shows ways through difficult economic times - compact, practical and future-orientated.

The BAG specifies the requirements for non-material claims for damages under Art. 82 para. 1 GDPR.

No economic growth, an ageing society and rising expenditure and contributions: The challenges in labor market and social policy could hardly be greater.

On April 11, 2025, the 2025 garnishment exemption limits pursuant to Section 850c ZPO were published in the Federal Law Gazette.

In economically challenging times, companies are often faced with the difficult task of optimizing their personnel costs.

Company agreements must be fully GDPR-compliant.

The parties to the collective agreement in the M E industry in Baden-Württemberg have concluded a collective agreement that enables companies to lend employees to each other in order to avoid short-time working or redundancies.

Pay slips may only be provided online

Assistance from the VDMA legal department on dismissals for operational reasons

On January 30, 2025, the Bundestag passed amendments to maternity protection in the event of miscarriages (printed matter 20/14231). The changes will come into force on June 1, 2025.

In the event of an increasing lack of orders and a lack of capacity utilization, the instrument of short-time work combined with short-time work compensation is an option for companies and employees.

By denying a trade union the right of digital access to the company, the BAG sets limits to the institutional freedom of association.

On January 1, 2025 and over the course of the next year, a number of changes will be made to the labor market.

On December 18, 2024, the Federal Cabinet decided to extend the period of entitlement to short-time working allowance.

Structural changes are needed, not the expansion of expensive special formats. The extension of the short-time working allowance is a political mistake.

Current developments in labor law and new laws pose challenges for the mechanical and plant engineering industry - an overview of decisions and legal adjustments that are relevant in practice.

The Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA) has prepared an application paper on the provisions of the Artificial Intelligence Regulation (AI Regulation) that are relevant for employers.

NORDMETALL and the Bavarian Metal and Electrical Industry Association (vbm) reached a pilot agreement with the IG Metall districts on the coast and Bavaria on November 12, 2024.

The EU-Commission has given the go-ahead for a single EU-wide digital declaration portal for the posting of workers. VDMA expressly welcomes this first step towards reducing bureaucracy.

On September 26, 2024, the Bundestag passed the Fourth Act to Reduce Bureaucracy for Citizens, Business and the Administration (Fourth Bureaucracy Reduction Act, BEG IV) at its second and third readings.

The different reporting obligations in the EU member states present companies with considerable bureaucratic challenges when it comes to work assignments. How can companies deal with this?

On November 14, 2024, the VDMA and the Corporate Learning Community are organizing a BarCamp on the topic of "Artificial Intelligence in the World of Work" in Frankfurt am Main.

"Googling" as part of a recruitment process triggers information obligations towards the applicant and can lead to a claim for compensation.

With regard to the principle of equal pay, the employer must provide verifiable evidence of the criteria for unequal pay.

Charging a hybrid vehicle without permission can have consequences under employment law.

On July 5, 2024, the Federal Council approved the Second Act Amending the Works Constitution Act. This means that the more specific regulations on the remuneration of works council members can come into force.

German law on the control of general terms and conditions is one of the regulations that also apply if the parties to the employment contract have made a choice of law in favor of a foreign legal system.

The effects of recent labor market policy decisions and current case law in labor law on operational practice in NRW mechanical and plant engineering.

The focus Recht brochure "The Working Hours Act (ArbZG) at a glance" has been updated and is now available in a new edition.

Action is required for all companies with at least 50 employees

The German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) published a draft law on the recording of working hours on April 18, 2023. This has not yet been approved by the coalition.

After the possibility of paying the tax-free inflation compensation lump sum was included in the law (§ 3 No. 11c EStG), the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) has now published an FAQ to clarify individual questions.

A bombshell from Erfurt: according to the Federal Labor Court, employers are obliged to record their employees' working hours.

"Mobile working abroad" has become a top issue for companies that want to be attractive to qualified specialists and managers who live outside Germany. But what needs to be taken into account?

The information portal for foreign professional qualifications (BQ-Portal) bundles all relevant information on foreign professional qualifications and vocational training systems on one platform.

The network of the Federal Employment Agency also plays a central role in the placement of skilled workers from abroad.

As part of the third relief package, the German government had agreed on the temporary introduction of a tax-free special payment. This was adopted by the Bundestag today in the second and third readings.

The German government has agreed on a draft annual tax law and introduced it into the parliamentary procedure. It also includes some regulations for wage and employee taxation.

The mechanical and plant engineering sector is a driver of digital and sustainable production. Its well-trained employees - more than one million in Germany alone - make a major contribution to quantitative and qualitative growth around the world. But an increasing shortage of skilled workers threatens to put the brakes on this success. In addition to a sustainable education policy, the solution to the problem must above all include a good labor market policy that focuses on flexibility.

What initially appears easy to implement turns into a legal bureaucratic monster on closer inspection. Here you will find the most important messages from the VDMA series of events on the topic of "Mobile working abroad".