The newly finalised coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD, titled ‘Responsibility for Germany’, spans 146 pages and introduces several changes that could impact labour law in Germany. In this summary, we unpack the key points on working time laws, bureaucracy reduction, minimum wage, and more.
Key Points
- The coalition aims to introduce flexibility in working hours through a maximum weekly instead of daily cap.
- No significant reform for mandatory electronic working time recording; however, unbureaucratic regulation is expected.
- Sunday and public holiday work exemptions were minimally expanded.
- Reforms to the status determination procedure aim to speed up and clarify employment classifications.
- A bureaucratic reduction initiative plans to simplify written form requirements for contracts and agreements.
- Future discussions regarding a statutory minimum wage set a goal of €15 per hour by 2026.
- Obligations for company representatives are to be scrapped by 2025, particularly affecting small and medium-sized enterprises.
- Plans for enhanced digitalisation and online participation in works councils to facilitate remote meetings and voting.
Why should I read this?
If you have any interest in employment law or the changing landscape of work in Germany, this article is a must-read. The shifts outlined could affect everything from how you record working hours to potential changes in your pay. We’ve done the heavy lifting of reading the lengthy agreement, so you don’t have to. Dive in and see how these changes might impact your workplace!