Employment Law

The world of work is regularly changing with technical progress and digitalisation constantly shifting the balance between man and machine. Companies are faced with the task of realigning their processes in order to remain competitive and employees must adapt to a working environment that demands ever greater skill and flexibility.

Work and Law: with experience at your side

The lawyers of Orth Kluth's Employment Law practice group are available to companies whenever they are challenged as an employer.

Our clients are spread across many industries and Management and HR departments have placed their trust in us just as much as senior managers and executives. The size of the company is not relevant, it could be a DAX company or a medium-sized business, only the size of the legal challenge that you are facing.

When your business changes: restructuring and transactions

Our highly experienced specialist lawyers in employment law support companies with structural changes and adjustments of the workforce from the concept phase to procedural implementation.

In connection with restructuring and reorganisation, we work with you to develop strategies and alternative solutions which enable you to achieve your corporate goals in the best possible way and with legal certainty. On this path we guide you through collective bargaining, reconciliation of interests and social plan negotiations and manage all processes relevant to co-determination. Modern and socially acceptable tools such as volunteer programmes, transfer offers and early retirement are just as much part of our standard repertoire as advice on internal and external communication strategies or, if necessary, representation before the labour courts.

Mergers and acquisitions require a special look at employment law. Early in the development of the deal structure, the conditions under which employees can be employed in the future companies must be considered. On this path we guide you through collective bargaining, reconciliation of interests and social plan negotiations, and manage all processes relevant to co-determination. Modern and socially acceptable tools such as volunteer programmes, transfer offers and early retirement, are just as much part of our standard repertoire as advice on internal and external communication strategies or, if necessary, representation before the labour courts.

When everything becomes new: adjustment of working conditions

Not just in times of work 4.0 are companies required to regularly put working conditions to the test. In a competitive labour market, we support you in the development and implementation of innovative remuneration and variable bonus systems as well as flexible working time models. In addition, we help you to introduce international matrix organisations, compliance guidelines and code of conducts.

Well represented vis-à-vis works councils and trade unions

Our employment lawyers are experienced in all areas of German corporate co-determination. Whether confrontational or cooperative: we are constantly at your side on collective bargaining and co-determination issues with trade unions and works councils. We negotiate collective agreements and works agreements for you and conduct conciliation procedures. We develop concepts to avoid strikes and support you through industrial action. Where necessary, we also represent our clients' interests in relation to the employee representatives in court.

Always at your side: HR day-to-day business and process management

In HR day-to-day business, we keep track of your contracts and are available at short notice and as a permanent ‘sparring partner’ who knows the specifics of your company. We investigate compliance cases and implement dismissals where necessary. We are as familiar with all legal issues relating to the highly regulated deployment of external personnel as we are with the organisation of foreign assignments and secondments (domestic and expatriate). On data protection or employee inventions, we advise you in close cooperation with our data protection and IP experts.

Avoidance of disputes and quick legal certainty are important assets – but not at any price. We represent the interests of our clients with vigour, care and professionalism before all German labour courts.

We take you personally: management consulting

Board members, managing directors and other executives rely on our advice when it comes to their individual role in the company – from drafting contracts to avoiding personal liability to representation in labour or civil lawsuits. In compliance cases, our team of D&O specialists and corporate criminal law experts can offer you an optimised all-round protection.

We are happy to share our knowledge: training courses

Would you like to bring your HR department up to date with case law and legislation? Do you need further training on special topics such as the deployment of external personnel? Or do you want to familiarise executives with the basics of German employment law? Please feel free to contact us at any time for our training programmes on employment law.