Interesting article I received in a newsletter a couple of minutes ago.

D.
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Eine Kündigung wegen mangelnder Deutschkenntnisse ist durchaus möglich, wie das Bundesarbeitsgericht in Erfurt nun entschieden hat. Und das selbst nach fast 30 Jahren Betriebszugehörigkeit.

Der betroffene Arbeitnehmer spanischer Herkunft war seit 1978 als Produktionshelfer bei einem Automobilzulieferer beschäftigt gewesen. Die Firma führte im Zuge einer Qualitätssicherungsmaßnahme schriftliche Arbeitsanweisungen ein, die der Mitarbeiter allerdings auch nach einem von der Firma finanzierten Sprachkurs nicht verstehen konnte. Mehrere Jahre lang versuchte der Arbeitgeber es mit Nachschulungsangeboten, die allerdings jeweils abgelehnt wurden. In einem solchen Fall kann sich der Arbeitnehmer nach Meinung der Erfurter Richter nicht auf den Kündigungs- und Diskriminierungsschutz des Allgemeinen Gleichbehandlungsgesetzes (AGG) berufen. Denn das Unternehmen hat ihm ausreichend Zeit zur Verbesserung seiner Sprachkenntnisse gegeben und sogar für kostenlose Schulungen während der Arbeitszeit gesorgt. Praktischer wäre es vielleicht gewesen, den Arbeitsanweisungen einfach eine spanische Übersetzung beizufügen.

an interesting case!

BUT why at first place company employed him if german language was such an important for the work. This still can be challenged if in the contract nothing is mnetioned like he/she needs to improve german later on. although its strong point that comapny supported him to take language course, BUT still its employer responsiblity to check language skills during hiring process or add in the contract that he/she needs to improve language skills through comapany funding like as probation period etc.

Learning German in a company is always a symbol of integration and I think that's why the company invested all they could to get him learn German and were patient enough to wait 30 years for that, I know of some companies which kicked people out after a year.

D.

This happend with me in berlin and I cant blame company.Just I was not fast enough to learn in one year to speek perfect german.
At presnt company I can get a very high raise if i improve my german and get responsiblity as projectleiter still for me its a slow learning process.I dont want to take stress neither im hugry of money at present.

What I only do is i have no friend /noone with whome i speek in anyother language except german and it is helping me slowely in a good way.

The headline of this case could indeed make for grim reading:

"Lack of German language skills reason to terminate job contract".

Employers seeking to get rid of an unwanted employee could cheerfully point to that ruling or, rather, the headline of it. This, however, would be premature. There is no need to worry. A termination must be a proportionate and reasonable response, that is to say, the termination must be the last resort or "ultima ratio". Therefore, the particular facts of the case have to warrant the termination. The Court ruled that if this is the case, Anti Discrimination laws (as laid down in the AGG) do not stand in the way. If the facts of the case bear out the language requirement, then there is no secondary discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity as the plaintiff argued before the courts.

There are couple of questions an employee faced with such a situation should ask himself:

1. What is my job description in the contract?
2. Why has the requested command of German not been necessary from the outset, but become important only now? In other words, what is the reason for this (sudden) language proficiency requirement?
3. Are those skills indispensable to fulfill my function or for ensuring the safety of the company?
4. Have I been given enough time to meet this proficiency level?
5. Have I been offered concrete assistance in acquiring those skills?
6. Do those requirements follow on the heels of recent tensions that I had with my employer in an unrelated matter?
7. Have I been singled out?


contact(at)kanzlei-jain.de

@vakalat,

thank you for making aware.

what if employer itself signed/offered employment contract in english and german?

Thanks