Competences

For all day-to-day and exceptional employment law matters, employers find in WÆRK Rechtsanwälte a competent and experienced partner with extensive expertise in supporting workforce management.

Our focus is not only on the legal solution, but also on its implementation and its impact on employees.

A particular focus of WÆRK Rechtsanwälte is advising and supporting clients on works constitution and co-determination matters — at business, company and group level.

With broad expertise and experience from both sides of the table, WÆRK Rechtsanwälte combines the perspectives of both works constitution parties with a clear sense of what is practically achievable. Objectivity and fairness are therefore central to our approach when negotiating agreements between parties that work together on a long-term basis.

We advise and support employees and executives in particular in separation processes with their employer. This includes advising on and negotiating termination agreements as well as representation in unfair dismissal proceedings.

We also provide competent support in all other legal disputes with employers or service principals, both out of court and in court.

The world of work is changing — and so are the conditions under which work is performed. In restructuring processes, WÆRK Rechtsanwälte advises and supports employers and works councils in negotiating balance of interests agreements (BOIs) and social compensation plans.

Our focus is on practical solutions for fair workforce reductions under restructuring conditions, including the use of transfer companies, while also taking into account economic viability and the post-restructuring work environment.

WÆRK Rechtsanwälte advises on the design of collective rules, in particular on codes of conduct, the introduction of compliance systems, whistleblower procedures, IT use, internet use policies, social media guidelines and AI-related matters.

Based on extensive experience with both sides of works council relations, we develop practical solutions in this often complex field — creating a sound basis for compliance and data protection for both parties.

WÆRK Rechtsanwälte has extensive experience in supporting special negotiating bodies (SNBs) in negotiations with employers on employee involvement when establishing a Societas Europaea (SE).

Based on our experience in this specialised area of employment law, we offer special negotiating bodies in particular:

Workshops with SNB members on the legal framework and strategic approaches when establishing an SE.

Advice and support for the SNB in negotiations on employee involvement.

Elections of employee representatives to supervisory boards can be challenging, depending on the size of the company or group, as they are not part of day-to-day business. WÆRK Rechtsanwälte specialises in organising such elections and supports election committees and company representatives in ensuring the legally sound composition of supervisory boards.

Elected employee representatives on supervisory boards can also rely on WÆRK Rechtsanwälte for advice on the legal framework and strategies for exercising their supervisory board mandate.

WÆRK Rechtsanwälte advises church institutions and church-affiliated organisations on day-to-day matters of church employment law and church remuneration systems. We are reliable partners to church employers in preparing negotiations and representing them vis-à-vis employee representatives.

In sales, spin-offs and restructurings of church institutions, WÆRK Rechtsanwälte has long provided constructive advice tailored to the relevant denominational framework, including related matters of church supplementary pension schemes.