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Anja Becher

Counsel / Attorney / Certified Employment Law Specialist || Berlin

Anja Becher joined the Berlin Office of Ogletree Deakins International LLP as a Certified Employment Law Specialist in February 2016. She advises national and international clients on all aspects of German individual and collective employment law and supports them in dealing with the daily challenges of employment law.

Anja Becher also focuses on advising clients in the area of company pension schemes, in particular on the introduction and amendment of pension schemes, on the adjustment of pension benefits and their division in the context of pension rights adjustment in the event of divorce as well as the transfer of pension commitments and pension entitlements, e. g. in connection with a transfer of business operations. Anja Becher also represents employers in disputes regarding company pension laws.

In addition, Anja Becher also advises clients on restructurings and regularly deals with issues relating to temporary staff and personnel leasing as well as social security and compulsory enforcement law. Anja Becher has special experience in dealing with the German Pay Transparency Act (Entgelttransparenzgesetz), including employee claims for information based on it.

She represents clients before all German labor courts and state labor courts, up to the Federal Labor Court (BAG), but also in the conclusion of works agreements including balance of interests and social plans.

As a Certified Employment Law Specialist, Anja Becher regularly publishes on employment law topics and gives corresponding lectures.

Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins, Anja Becher worked as a lawyer in the areas of Employment Law and Litigation at SammlerUsinger Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB in Leipzig and Berlin for several years and was seconded to the German legal department of the ArcelorMittal Group (Berlin) from 2013 to 2014.

Languages: German and English.

Learn more about Anja Becher

Education

Professional Activities

  • Member of VBKI – Verein Berliner Kaufleute und Industrieller e.V.
  • Member of EELA – European Employment Lawyers Association
  • Member of aba – Arbeitsgemeinschaft für betriebliche Altersversorgung e.V.
  • Member of Deutschen Anwaltverein (DAV/Berliner Anwaltsverein), including Arbeitsgemeinschaft Arbeitsrecht
  • Member of Institut für Arbeitsrecht, Berlin – Bochum e.V.
  • Member of Deutschen Juristinnenbund (djb)

Speeches

Insights by Anja Becher

Differentiations in Inflation Compensation Premium Permissible

The inflation compensation bonus, which can be paid out by companies to their employees up to an amount of EUR 3,000.00 tax- and social security-free – i.e. net – is currently the talk of the town. Whether a company is free in its decision not to grant this bonus to all employees was recently decided by the Paderborn Labor Court (judgment of July 6, 2023 – 1 Ca 54/23).

Intentional Failure to Apply for Unemployment Benefits During Dismissal Protection Proceedings

The existence of an employee’s obligation to report to the Employment Agency immediately after they receive notice of termination is not new. In its ruling of October 12, 2022, the German Federal Labor Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht – BAG) had to deal, among other things, with the question of whether there was a malicious intent to fail to earn money during a period of default of acceptance and what effects a failure to notify to the Employment Agency in due time can affect the claim to payment of default of acceptance wages.

New Year – New Legislation: What Changes in German Employment Law in 2023

On January 1, 2023, Germany will begin to implement digitization processes in the statutory health insurance system. As a result, the paper certificate of incapacity for work, previously known as the “yellow certificate”, which doctors usually issue to an employee to certify their sickness, will largely be a relic of the past. From now on, employers will be informed electronically by the relevant statutory health insurance fund about the incapacity to work of employees who are insured under the statutory health insurance.

Important Changes in German Employment Law in 2022

As usual, there are some important changes in employment law that went into effect at the beginning of the new year. We have prepared an overview over the most important new regulations that employers may want to be aware of.

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