are some examples.
I mainly provide legal advice to small and medium-sized companies in all matters of individual and collective employment law and related issues. My aim is to solve minor challenges before they turn into major problems. I offer support in preventing conflict in the workplace and finding suitable solutions wherever conflicts arise. In most cases, identifying risks and problems and addressing them early on will save costs and energy. My network is an ideal resource for both my clients and myself when it comes to larger projects.
I accompany my clients in issues regarding employment relationships - from the recruitment and hiring process, through to conditions of employment, including remuneration, bonuses, special payments or other variable remuneration components, up to employee exit. Departure from a company is mostly effected by termination, expiry of a fixed term or termination agreement. It depends on the specific situation, how this can best be achieved with the required legal certainty, whether with or without severance payment or with or without a redundancy programme. I provide legal advice to my clients on all of these issues.
Questions on collective bargaining law (collective agreement, in-house/ company collective agreement, change of collective bargaining coverage) and concepts for compensation schemes are also relevant in the working world. My clients also include senior executives, who value both my advice on agreements and their rights and obligations in the workplace just as much as me representing them in an exit scenario.
In issues regarding collective labour law, I will advocate for my clients’ interests with regard to employee representation bodies. This applies above all to measures in which the works council has a co-determination right. You may require my advice with regard to a modern regulation on working hours, the introduction or expansion of electronic applications (e.g. tools for personnel development), processes for structural change and changes in operation or even redundancy or collective redundancy. In addition, I advise on the practical handling of notification obligations towards and notification rights of employee representation bodies (in Germany, for example: Works Council, Representative Body for Severely Disabled Employees, Youth and Trainee/Apprentice Council, Executive Staff Committee). In cross-border cases within Europe, the European Works Council also comes into play.
The protection of employee data has become increasingly important due to the intensified use of electronic means for communicating and working. In this respect, I support my clients in finding practice-oriented scenarios for any issues involving employee data protection, because in an employment relationship, employee data will always be collected, stored and used. The provisions of the European General Data Protection Regulation will in future be just as important as the German Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz).
Compliance is defined as acting in accordance with the rules. Compliance requirements for companies are extensive. I assist my clients in making the necessary arrangements to meet such requirements. Bespoke compliance organisation that is aligned to the requirements of the company is one of several tools. This also applies to smaller and medium-sized enterprises in the form of compliance measures that are especially tailored to their business. Suitable compliance rules and their communication to employees are of crucial importance. Most of the time, additional extensive support in the workforce is essential. Compliance should not remain mere theory, but become business practice. The statutory minimum wage or the deployment of external personnel requires compliance in the area of employment law, even in small companies, for example through appropriate contract structures and implementation.
I conduct training courses and seminars for my clients.
Possible audiences are: Management and/or senior executives, employee representation bodies, specialised operational or HR departments or specific employee groups/ functions.
Seminar contents (examples): Introduction to German labour and employment law, specific topics, current employment law challenges, changes in the law or a concept which is tailored to your specific needs.