Court judgment: German wave loses against former program director!

Court judgment: German wave loses against former program director!

On June 2, 2025, the Berlin Labor Court decided in a trend -setting procedure in favor of a former program director of the German Welle. The complaint of the Deutsche Welle to request the repayment of resting people was rejected. This marks a significant case with regard to employee rights and pension claims.

The Deutsche Welle originally called for around 130,000 euros to be repaid that was paid to the plaintiff in 2021. The program manager has been with Rias and the German wave since 1992, most recently as Director Multimedia Global. His service contract, which was concluded in 2011 and was limited to five years, contained regulations on post -contractual resting residents, provided that a contract extension was not offered or a termination was made for operational reasons.

Details on the court ruling

The court confirmed that the former program director is entitled to the Ruhgelder. These had to be paid because the Deutsche Welle specifically terminated the service contract on April 30, 2014 due to restructuring measures. Deutsche Welle had paid out the agreed retirement content from May 2014 to April 2019, but it was reduced by 40 percent from May 2019.

The court also rejected the argumentation of the German wave, according to which there was no further claim to a resting person over five years after the end of the contract. The interpretation of the service contract left no room for such an assertion. Instead, it was found that claims on Ruhgelder can also exist beyond the first five years after the end of the employment relationship. In addition, the German wave's claims for recovery were considered forfeited because pension benefits were provided for over ten years.

The decision of the labor court means that the German wave is now obliged to pay further resting. However, the possibility of making an appeal against this judgment remains, and the Deutsche Welle can do so at the State Labor Court of Berlin-Brandenburg.

A look at the framework conditions

The judgment comes at a time when fundamental changes in labor law are already being discussed by the 2025 coalition agreement. For example, this provides for the introduction of a weekly maximum working time for the better reconciliation of work and family and thus sets the course for future regulations on the labor market. The sustainability of the company pension scheme is particularly emphasized.

Anyone who deals with the current developments in German labor law realizes that the planned measures, such as the digital responsibility of the employer in relation to the time recording and the strengthening of participation through digital works council elections, aim for increased flexibility and personal responsibility. These factors could also have long -term effects on cases such as the German wave by redefining the framework conditions for insurance law disputes in the area of ​​pension.

The judgment of the labor court confirms the importance of clear contractual agreements and its interpretation in legal disputes. Employers and employees are well advised to know the legal framework and their rights carefully to avoid future conflicts.

For the German wave, it remains to be seen how it will continue on this matter and whether the company ultimately appeals to contest the decision.

berlin.de reports that ...
Yahoo Nachrichten emphasizes that ...
sza emphasizes that ...