{"id":7203,"date":"2022-06-30T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/the-german-federal-labor-court-clarifies-the-impact-of-the-ecjs-ccoo-decision-on-the-burden-of-presentation-and-proof-in-overtime-litigation\/"},"modified":"2022-06-30T09:00:14","modified_gmt":"2022-06-30T07:00:14","slug":"the-german-federal-labor-court-clarifies-the-impact-of-the-ecjs-ccoo-decision-on-the-burden-of-presentation-and-proof-in-overtime-litigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/en\/the-german-federal-labor-court-clarifies-the-impact-of-the-ecjs-ccoo-decision-on-the-burden-of-presentation-and-proof-in-overtime-litigation\/","title":{"rendered":"THE GERMAN FEDERAL LABOR COURT CLARIFIES THE IMPACT OF THE ECJ&#8217;S CCOO DECISION ON THE BURDEN OF PRESENTATION AND PROOF IN OVERTIME LITIGATION"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-f1wonj-2dba9e4035d5f8c15b1bce818fc5c4b6\">\n.avia-section.av-f1wonj-2dba9e4035d5f8c15b1bce818fc5c4b6{\nbackground-repeat:no-repeat;\nbackground-image:url(https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/3629.jpg);\nbackground-position:0% 0%;\nbackground-attachment:scroll;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div id='av_section_1'  class='avia-section av-f1wonj-2dba9e4035d5f8c15b1bce818fc5c4b6 main_color avia-section-default avia-no-shadow  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_section  avia-builder-el-first  hide_on_print avia-full-stretch avia-bg-style-scroll av-minimum-height av-minimum-height-40 av-height-40  container_wrap sidebar_right'  data-section-bg-repeat='stretch' data-av_minimum_height_pc='40' data-av_min_height_opt='40'><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><main  role=\"main\" itemprop=\"mainContentOfPage\"  class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-7203'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<\/div><\/div><\/main><!-- close content main element --><\/div><\/div><div id='av_section_2'  class='avia-section av-dx9f6n-06942a13987437667316df4fe2ed088a main_color avia-section-default avia-no-shadow  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_section  avia-builder-el-last  avia-bg-style-scroll container_wrap sidebar_right'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-7203'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-cyhhqn-761767f031380e756dcb0949afdb7733\">\n.flex_column.av-cyhhqn-761767f031380e756dcb0949afdb7733{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-cyhhqn-761767f031380e756dcb0949afdb7733 av_two_third  avia-builder-el-2  el_before_av_two_third  avia-builder-el-first  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  '     ><style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-l50nncg7-a8881118842a591b4d7efc52b4acb728\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-l50nncg7-a8881118842a591b4d7efc52b4acb728{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-l50nncg7-a8881118842a591b4d7efc52b4acb728 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-l50nncg7-a8881118842a591b4d7efc52b4acb728 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-l50nncg7-a8881118842a591b4d7efc52b4acb728 av-special-heading-h1 blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-3  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '><div class='av-subheading av-subheading_above'>30. June 2022\n<\/div><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >THE GERMAN FEDERAL LABOR COURT CLARIFIES THE IMPACT OF THE ECJ\u2019S CCOO DECISION ON THE BURDEN OF PRESENTATION AND PROOF IN OVERTIME LITIGATION<\/h1><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-a6eb8f-efad75d1b0eafd02e363dad0e9e28257\">\n.flex_column.av-a6eb8f-efad75d1b0eafd02e363dad0e9e28257{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-a6eb8f-efad75d1b0eafd02e363dad0e9e28257 av_two_third  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_two_third  el_before_av_two_third  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  column-top-margin'     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-l50no396-ac017ca470791c769362fe5cc2fec39e '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><strong>With the ECJ ruling dated 14 May 2019 that employers must enable the recording of working time by means of an objective, reliable and accessible system, ambiguity arose as to what extent this also has an impact on the burden of presentation and proof in lawsuits brought by employees for compensation for overtime. The Federal Labor Court (<em>Bundesarbeitsgericht <\/em>&#8211; BAG) has now provided clarity, denied a connection and declared that it will adhere to the familiar two-step model.<\/strong><!--more--><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-92d4in-3f0634c2173885410b998b270684c7e3\">\n.flex_column.av-92d4in-3f0634c2173885410b998b270684c7e3{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-92d4in-3f0634c2173885410b998b270684c7e3 av_two_third  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_two_third  el_before_av_one_third  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  column-top-margin'     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-l50npm7c-72e4b920d2ff2b6183e41b90aa20075c '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>I. Ruling of the European Court of Justice of 14 May 2019<\/h2>\n<p>The European Court of Justice (ECJ) had stated in the CCOO ruling (case C-55\/18) that only a system with a comprehensive recording of working time could grant the substantive rights under Directive 2003\/88\/EC (Working Time Directive) and Article 31 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights (CFR). Otherwise, neither the number of hours worked by the employee nor the working time exceeding the normal working time could be determined objectively and reliably. The ECJ therefore held that the &#8220;necessary measures&#8221; within the meaning of Articles 3, 5 and 6 lit. b of the Working Time Directive include such a determination of working times. The enforcement of these rights would only be possible if the member states oblige employers to provide an appropriate objective, reliable and accessible time recording system.<\/p>\n<h2>II. Effects on overtime litigations<\/h2>\n<p>In overtime litigations, it is generally the employee&#8217;s responsibility to prove how much overtime he\/she has worked and when, and which activities were performed during this time. The BAG has developed the so-called 2-step model for this purpose. At the first stage, the employee must prove on which days and at which times of day he\/she worked beyond the agreed working hours. At the second stage, the employee must then prove that the employer also initiated the overtime; this could be done by explicit order, but also by approval or acquiescence. This clearly shows that the employee&#8217;s chances of success would significantly increase if his working hours have to be recorded in detail by the employer.<br \/>\nIn light of the ECJ ruling and the employer&#8217;s obligation to provide a time recording system, there could also be implications for overtime litigations. At the first level, it could be considered that overtime is deemed to be accepted by the employer as work if a detailed record is kept, and without a record, the employer would have to prove that the overtime is unjustified. At the second level, acquiescence to overtime by the employer could be assumed on basis of the record. These arguments were used by the Emden Labor Court in a decision following the ECJ ruling to ease the burden of proof for employees.<\/p>\n<h2>III. Decisions of the Regional Labor Court of Lower Saxony and the Regional Labor Court of Hesse<\/h2>\n<p>The decision of the Emden Labor Court was corrected by the Regional Labor Court of Lower Saxony (<em>LAG Niedersachsen<\/em>) because the ECJ would not have any competence in questions of remuneration for work on basis of Article 153 (5) TFEU and no effect on the employer&#8217;s obligation to tolerate and provide evidence on basis of mandatory recording could be assumed. The Regional Labor Court of Hesse also rejected any effects on the burden of proof in overtime proceedings because the EU would not be competent in questions of remuneration and the wording of \u00a7 16 para. 2 German Working Hours Act (<em>Arbeitszeitgesetz <\/em>&#8211; ArbZG) would not permit an interpretation in conformity with European law.<\/p>\n<h2>IV. Ruling of the BAG<\/h2>\n<p>The BAG decided on the appeal against the judgment of the Regional Labor Court of Lower Saxony in May 2022. Even though the reasons for the ruling are not yet available, the most important reasons for the ruling can be found in the press release, so that there is now clarity about the actual effects of the aforementioned ECJ ruling on overtime litigations.<br \/>\nThe BAG clarifies that it will continue to adhere to the established two-stage model and that there will be no redistribution of the burden of proof and presentation. In its reasoning, the BAG essentially agreed with the Regional Labor Court of Lower Saxony. The decision of the ECJ had referred to the application of the Working Time Directive and Article 31 CFR and thus to aspects of the organization of working time with regard to the safety and health of employees and not to the remuneration of the same. The BAG therefore denies any effects on the principles developed under German law, so that the already known burden of proof remains.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-7esx5r-ec51e6e0c91697675b2630cfc4712d1e\">\n.flex_column.av-7esx5r-ec51e6e0c91697675b2630cfc4712d1e{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:7px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-7esx5r-ec51e6e0c91697675b2630cfc4712d1e av_one_third  avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_two_third  avia-builder-el-last  sy-only-desktop hide_on_print flex_column_div  column-top-margin'     ><p><div  class='avia-builder-widget-area clearfix  avia-builder-el-9  el_before_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-first '><section id=\"categories-3\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_categories\"><h3 class=\"widgettitle\">Newsletter issues<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-265\"><a 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employees for compensation for overtime. The Federal Labor Court has now provided clarity, denied a connection and declared that it will adhere to the familiar two-step model.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[182],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2022-q2-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7203"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7213,"href":"https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7203\/revisions\/7213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/it-landgraf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}