Site Relocation as a Mass Dismissal? ECJ Sharpens the Concept of ‘Dismissal’
In its judgment of June 4, 2026 (Ref. No. C-907/24), the European Court of Justice (ECJ) held that a dismissal following an employee’s refusal to comply with a unilateral relocation of the workplace to a distant location may qualify as a “dismissal” within the meaning of the European Collective Redundancies Directive (Directive 98/59/EC). The ruling is particularly relevant to cases involving site relocations, plant closures, and restructurings in which employees are unwilling or unable to transfer to a new workplace.
