How employees can avoid a threatened dismissal for an indefinite period of time
In justifying its decision, the BAG points out that the legal entitlement to holiday pay is mandatory by law and thus cannot be stipulated or reduced in an employment contract. A reduction is only possible if this is provided for by law, such as in the case of military service or parental leave. However, the Nursing Care Leave Act (PflegeZG) does not provide for any possibility of reduction, even if the employment relationship is suspended during the nursing care leave due to this special leave.
Protection against dismissal for employees from the announcement of a care period
If an employee has to fear dismissal, perhaps for operational reasons, due to the dissolution of his or her department or other circumstances, he or she can avoid the employer’s dismissal options by announcing a care period – perhaps only intended for the following year.
“The special protection against dismissal already begins with the announcement of the nursing leave according to § 3 PflegeZG. There is no express limitation on this period.”
This means that employees who fear a possible dismissal for whatever reason, e.g. because staff cuts are announced, can, for example, announce a care period of up to 6 months a year in advance and in this way prevent any dismissal measures for 18 months. This can also be achieved with the announcement of a one-month care period, and the period can possibly be longer. The six months of the care period can be shortened – e.g. because the person to be cared for does not accept the care, goes to the nursing home or refuses the intended removal from the home, is aggressive, or the caregiver is overtaxed. And if this occurs before the start of the care period, then the care period ends before it begins, if applicable.
That is, you can control it somewhat when the time that the threat of dismissal in the company has ended – for example, because the economic situation has improved, because enough other employees have already been dismissed.
Often it is enough to survive such critical phases in which those to be dismissed are selected. Delays in termination can save the job.
Of course, those employees are at an advantage whose employment contract contains some difficulties with regard to the possibilities of termination, which must be taken into account when concluding the contract.
Excerpt PflegeZG
- §1 Aim of the law
The aim of the law is to give employees the opportunity to care for close relatives in need of care in their own home.
environment and thus improve the compatibility of work and family care.
…
- §3 Care period
(1) Employees shall be released from work in whole or in part if they have a
care for a close relative in need of care in a domestic environment (care leave). The claim pursuant to sentence 1
does not apply to employers with 15 or fewer employees as a rule.
…
(3) Anyone wishing to claim care leave must notify the employer no later than ten working days before the start of the care leave.
in writing and at the same time declare the period and extent of the exemption.
is to be taken from work performance. …
- §4 Duration of the care period
(1) The period of care pursuant to § 3 shall not exceed six months for each close relative in need of care.
(maximum duration). …
(2) If the close relative is no longer in need of care or if home care of the close relative is
impossible or unreasonable, the care period ends four weeks after the change in circumstances occurs. …
- §5 Protection against dismissal
(1) The employer may not terminate the employment relationship from the time of the notice until the termination of the short-term
The employee shall not be entitled to terminate the employment relationship if he/she is prevented from working in accordance with § 2 or if he/she is on care leave in accordance with § 3.
…
- §7 Definitions
…
(3) Close relatives within the meaning of this Act are
- Grandparents, parents, in-laws,
- Spouses, civil partners, partners in a consensual union, siblings,
- children, adopted or foster children, the children, adopted or foster children of the spouse, or
Life partner, children-in-law and grandchildren.
by Dr. Johannes Fiala
by courtesy of
https://www.verband-mdh.de/der-verband/fachmagazin-fundus/ (Issue 3/2015)
