Purpose
Employment contracts are general terms and conditions. Since the reform of the law of obligations, they are subject to the content review of §§ 305 et seq. BGB — with the most unpleasant of all legal consequences for the user: an invalid clause is not reduced to the permissible level, but struck out entirely. This skill drafts clauses that survive this review and examines existing contracts for the clauses that typically do not.
Inputs
- Type of contract: permanent / fixed-term / part-time / marginal / executive employee
- Collective agreement coverage (both sides, OT membership, reference clause?), works agreements
- Remuneration structure: fixed salary, variable components, bonuses, special payments, benefits in kind
- Desired flexibilisations: transfer, revocation of allowances, overtime compensation, contractual penalty, post-contractual non-compete obligation
- Intended use: individual contract or contract template (then the review of general terms and conditions is opened in any case)
Sub-agent architecture
- Researcher (
../../agents/researcher.md) provides §§ 305–310 BGB, NachwG, MiLoG with URL as well as the BAG lines on exclusion periods and revocation reservations. - Drafter (
../../agents/drafter.md) formulates the clauses and the evidence checklist. - Reviewer (
../../agents/reviewer.md) reviews transparency, limits of non-derogability and formal requirements.
Process
1. Opening of the general terms and conditions review (§ 305 BGB, § 310 BGB)
The employee is a consumer within the meaning of § 13 BGB; employment contracts are consumer contracts. It follows from this:
- One-off conditions are subject to the content review under § 310(3) no. 2 BGB even if they are intended for only one use. The objection "that was an individually negotiated contract" practically never holds.
- Negotiating (§ 305(1) sentence 3 BGB) requires that the user seriously places the essential content at the other party's disposal. Merely negotiating over the salary does not turn the remaining clauses into individual agreements.
- § 310(4) sentence 2 BGB: When applying them to employment contracts, the special features applicable in employment law must be duly taken into account. Practical consequence: the clause prohibitions of §§ 308, 309 BGB do not apply schematically; § 309 no. 6 BGB (prohibition of contractual penalties) is not applicable in employment law, but the contractual penalty is subject to the reasonableness review under § 307 BGB.
- No review applies to collective agreements, works and service agreements (§ 310(4) sentences 1, 3 BGB) — also not if they are brought into force by reference.
2. The three strict review standards
| Standard | Norm | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Surprising clause | Section 305c(1) of the German Civil Code (BGB) | Does not become part of the contract (e.g. non-compete clause under "Miscellaneous") |
| Ambiguity rule | Section 305c(2) of the German Civil Code (BGB) | Doubts are construed against the user |
| Transparency requirement | Section 307(1) sentence 2 of the German Civil Code (BGB) | An unclear clause is for that reason alone invalid |
Prohibition of geltungserhaltende Reduktion (reduction preserving validity): A clause drafted too broadly is not trimmed to the permissible extent, but falls away entirely; it is replaced by the dispositive statutory law (Section 306(2) of the German Civil Code (BGB)). A blue-pencil test only saves what is separable in wording and substance. Salvatorische Klauseln (severability clauses) do not help in the law on general terms and conditions.
3. Exclusion periods — the most important individual clause
Permissible is a two-stage exclusion period:
- Stage 1: written or textual assertion vis-à-vis the other party,
- Stage 2: judicial assertion after refusal or silence.
Limits that each stage must observe:
- Minimum duration per stage: three months. Shorter periods are unreasonably disadvantageous (Section 307(1) sentence 1 of the German Civil Code (BGB)) — settled case law of the Federal Labour Court (BAG) on the minimum length of exclusion periods in employment contracts
[unverifiziert – prüfen]. - Form of the first stage: For contracts concluded after 30 September 2016, no stricter form than text form may be required (Section 309 no. 13 of the German Civil Code (BGB)). A clause requiring "written form" is invalid as a whole.
- Minimum wage exception: The claim to the statutory minimum wage is, under Section 3 of the Minimum Wage Act (MiLoG) , indispensable; an exclusion period that does not expressly exempt it is, according to case law, intransparent and therefore invalid as a whole — not merely in relation to the minimum wage
[unverifiziert – prüfen]. This is the most frequent total failure in old contracts. - Further claims that not may be covered: liability for intent (Section 202(1) of the German Civil Code (BGB)), claims from intentional tort, claims that are indispensable under collective agreements, claims under the AEntG and the AÜG.
Drafting aid — two-stage exclusion period:
§ <N> Ausschlussfristen
(1) Alle Ansprüche aus dem Arbeitsverhältnis und solche, die mit
dem Arbeitsverhältnis in Verbindung stehen, verfallen, wenn
sie nicht innerhalb von drei Monaten nach Fälligkeit
gegenüber der anderen Vertragspartei in Textform geltend
gemacht werden.
(2) Lehnt die andere Vertragspartei den Anspruch in Textform ab
oder erklärt sie sich nicht innerhalb von drei Monaten nach
Geltendmachung, verfällt der Anspruch, wenn er nicht
innerhalb von drei Monaten nach der Ablehnung oder dem
Fristablauf gerichtlich geltend gemacht wird.
(3) Von den Absätzen 1 und 2 ausgenommen sind:
a) Ansprüche auf den gesetzlichen Mindestlohn nach dem
Mindestlohngesetz sowie auf Vergütung nach dem
Arbeitnehmer-Entsendegesetz und dem
Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz,
b) Ansprüche, die auf einer vorsätzlichen oder grob
fahrlässigen Pflichtverletzung oder auf einer
vorsätzlichen unerlaubten Handlung beruhen,
c) Ansprüche wegen der Verletzung des Lebens, des Körpers
oder der Gesundheit,
d) Ansprüche, die kraft Gesetzes oder Tarifvertrags
unabdingbar sind.
4. Revocation and voluntariness reservation
Both instruments are regularly confused, although they achieve opposite things:
| Instrument | Purpose | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Voluntariness reservation | Prevents a company practice from arising through repeated performance — no claim is to arise at all | Only for genuine special payments without the character of remuneration; must not be combined with a binding commitment in the same contract (contradiction → intransparent) |
| Revocation reservation | An existing entitlement is to be able to be unilaterally withdrawn later | Grounds for revocation must be specifically named in the contract (economic reasons, performance, conduct); the revocable part may not amount to more than about 25 – 30 % of the total remuneration and must not interfere with the collectively agreed wage [unverifiziert – prüfen] |
A reservation that combines both ("voluntary and revocable at any time") is contradictory and invalid under § 307(1) sentence 2 BGB — with the consequence that the benefit is owed unconditionally.
Further standard clauses and their pitfalls:
- Transfer clause: Permissible insofar as it does not exceed the employer's right of direction under § 106 GewO; a clause that permits assignment of lower-value activities is invalid.
- Overtime compensation clause: "All overtime is compensated by the salary" is intransparent and invalid. Permissible is compensation up to a specifically quantified number of hours; in the case of very high remuneration (above the contribution assessment ceiling), a flat-rate compensation may be effective
[unverifiziert – prüfen]. - Contractual penalty: Specific elements (such as non-commencement, termination contrary to the contract) and a sanction appropriate in amount are required — upper limit as a rule one gross monthly salary, in the case of non-commencement during the probationary period the remuneration corresponding to the shortened notice period
[unverifiziert – prüfen]. - Repayment clause for further training costs: The duration of the commitment must be proportionate to the duration of the training and the monetary benefit; the repayment obligation must not be linked to termination reasons from the employer's sphere.
- Post-contractual non-compete clause: §§ 74 et seq. HGB — without compensation for the restraint of at least half of the last remuneration received, it is void, not merely non-binding, if the compensation is entirely absent.
- Written form clause: Double written form clauses are ineffective vis-à-vis individual agreements (§ 305b BGB) and invalid in standard terms and conditions insofar as they give the impression that oral agreements are always irrelevant.
5. Documentation obligations (§ 2 NachwG)
Since the implementation of Directive (EU) 2019/1152 on 01.08.2022 the catalogue of essential contractual conditions to be documented has been 15 points expanded (§ 2(1) sentence 7 nos. 1–15 NachwG) and must be fulfilled in stages (§ 2(1) sentence 9 NachwG):
| Deadline | Information |
|---|---|
| At the latest on the first day of work | No. 1 (parties), No. 7 (composition and amount of the remuneration including overtime pay, surcharges, allowances, bonuses and special payments, in each case separately, due date and method of payment), No. 8 (working time, rest breaks, rest periods, shift system) |
| At the latest on the seventh calendar day | No. 2–6 (start, end of fixed term, place of work, description of activities, probationary period), No. 9 (work on call), No. 10 (overtime order) |
| At the latest one month after the start | No. 11 (duration of vacation), No. 12 (entitlement to further training), No. 13 (occupational pension scheme / pension provider), No. 14 (termination procedure, at least the written form requirement, notice periods and the deadline for filing an action for protection against dismissal), No. 15 (applicable collective agreements and works agreements) |
Form — the central distinction:
- § 2 (1) sentence 1 NachwG continues in principle to require the written form: set down, sign, hand over.
- Since the Fourth Act to Reduce Bureaucracy (BEG IV), § 2 (1) sentence 2 NachwG permits the text form (§ 126b BGB) and electronic transmission — subject to three cumulative conditions: the document must be accessible to the employee, capable of being stored and printed out, and the employer must, with the transmission, request the issuance of an acknowledgement of receipt .
- At the employee's request, the record must be provided without delay in written form (§ 2 (1) sentence 3 NachwG).
- The opening to text form does not apply to employees in the economic sectors of § 2a (1) SchwarzArbG (§ 2 (1) sentence 6 NachwG) — construction, restaurants, forwarding and logistics industry, meat industry, among others.
- The record in electronic form within the meaning of § 126a BGB remains excluded (§ 2 (1) sentence 8 NachwG).
Distinction that must not be confused: The opening to text form concerns exclusively the record. Unaffected remain:
- § 623 BGB — termination and settlement agreement continue to require the written form; the electronic form is expressly excluded. A termination declared by email or messenger is void.
- § 14 (4) TzBfG — fixed-term agreement: written form.
- § 74 (1) HGB — post-contractual non-competition clause: written form and handover.
Fine: Since 01.08.2022, a breach of the record-keeping obligation is an administrative offence under § 4 NachwG and can be punished with a fine of up to two thousand euros — per offence, thus potentially per employee.
The record is not required to the extent that a written employment contract containing the information has been handed over (§ 2 (5) NachwG). In practice, the safest route therefore remains a complete, signed employment contract.
Sources
Statute
- § 305 BGB, § 307 BGB, § 308 BGB, § 309 BGB, § 310 BGB
- § 126b BGB, § 202 BGB, § 611a BGB, § 623 BGB
- § 2 NachwG, § 4 NachwG
- § 3 MiLoG, § 1 MiLoG
- § 106 GewO, § 14 TzBfG
- Directive (EU) 2019/1152 on transparent and predictable working conditions
Commentaries
- Preis, in: ErfK, 24th ed. 2024, §§ 305–310 BGB marginal no. 1 et seq. (standard terms and conditions control in employment law)
- Preis, Der Arbeitsvertrag, 7th ed. 2022, II A 10 (exclusion periods), II W 10 (revocation reservation)
- Basedow, in: MüKoBGB, 9th ed. 2022, § 310 marginal no. 100 et seq.
- Kliemt, in: HWK, 11th ed. 2024, § 2 NachwG marginal no. 1 et seq.
Case law
- settled case law of the BAG on § 307 BGB (an exclusion period of less than three months per stage unreasonably disadvantages the employee)
[unverifiziert – prüfen] - settled case law of the BAG on § 3 MiLoG in conjunction with § 307(1) sentence 2 BGB (an exclusion period without a minimum wage exception is intransparent and invalid as a whole)
[unverifiziert – prüfen] - settled case law of the BAG on the revocation reservation (grounds for revocation must be named in the contract; scope of revocation limited)
[unverifiziert – prüfen] - settled case law of the BAG on the flat-rate overtime compensation clause (intransparency where compensation is not quantified)
[unverifiziert – prüfen] - settled case law of the BAG on the contractual penalty in the employment contract (§ 309 no. 6 BGB not applicable, but reasonableness review under § 307 BGB)
[unverifiziert – prüfen]
Case numbers must be determined before use in juris, Beck-Online or the BAG decision database .
Output format
ARBEITSVERTRAG — GESTALTUNG / KLAUSELPRÜFUNG — <Mandat-ID> — <Datum>
VERTRAULICH — MANDATSGEHEIMNIS — § 43a Abs. 2 BRAO
Gesamtbefund: [🟢 tragfähig / 🟡 Anpassung empfohlen / 🔴 Klausel unwirksam]
I. AGB-Eröffnung [Muster / Einmalbedingung
§ 310 III Nr. 2 BGB]
II. Klauselprüfung
Klausel | § | Befund | Rechtsfolge bei Unwirksamkeit
Ausschlussfrist | 307 I | [🟢/🔴] | ersatzlos, §§ 195 ff. BGB
Widerrufsvorbehalt | 307 I | [🟢/🔴] | Leistung unbedingt geschuldet
Freiwilligkeitsvorbehalt| 307 I | [🟢/🔴] | betriebliche Übung entsteht
Versetzungsklausel | 307 | [🟢/🔴] | § 106 GewO gilt
Überstundenabgeltung | 307 I 2| [🟢/🔴] | Vergütungspflicht § 612 BGB
Vertragsstrafe | 307 | [🟢/🔴] | ersatzlos
Fortbildungsrückzahlung| 307 | [🟢/🔴] | ersatzlos
Wettbewerbsverbot | 74 HGB| [🟢/🔴] | nichtig / unverbindlich
III. Transparenzprüfung § 307 I 2 BGB <auffällige Formulierungen>
IV. Blue-Pencil-Test <abtrennbare Teile>
V. Nachweispflichten § 2 NachwG
Tag 1 (Nr. 1, 7, 8): [🟢 / 🔴]
Tag 7 (Nr. 2–6, 9, 10): [🟢 / 🔴]
Monat 1 (Nr. 11–15): [🟢 / 🔴]
Form: [Schriftform / Textform § 2 I 2
mit Empfangsnachweis]
SchwarzArbG-Branche § 2a I: [nein / 🔴 ja → nur Schriftform]
Bußgeldrisiko § 4 NachwG: bis 2.000 EUR je Verstoß
VI. Formerfordernisse unberührt § 623 BGB (Kündigung),
§ 14 IV TzBfG, § 74 I HGB
Empfohlene Neufassungen:
<Klausel + Wortlaut>
Empfehlung: <…>
Risks / typical mistakes
- Exclusion period without minimum wage exception — the clause falls away as a whole, not only in relation to the minimum wage; all claims are then subject to the standard limitation period.
- Exclusion period requires written form — infringement of § 309 no. 13 BGB; at most text form is permissible.
- Expecting the clause to be reduced to a legally valid scope — a contractual penalty of “up to three gross monthly salaries” is not reduced to one salary, but falls away.
- Severability clause used as a safety net — ineffective under the law on standard terms and conditions.
- Voluntariness reservation and revocation reservation combined — contradictory, intransparent, benefit owed unconditionally.
- Revocation reservation without named grounds for revocation or with a scope far exceeding one quarter of total remuneration.
- Flat-rate overtime compensation without quantification — intransparent; the overtime must then be remunerated under § 612 BGB.
- Text form under § 2 NachwG confused with the form of termination — § 623 BGB still requires written form; a termination declared by email is void.
- Text form used in a SchwarzArbG sector — § 2(1) sentence 6 NachwG excludes these sectors from the opening.
- Proof of receipt not requested — without the request, the text-form variant of Section 2(1) sentence 2 of the NachwG is not fulfilled.
- Evidence deadlines overlooked in a staggered manner — Remuneration and working time must already be evidenced on the first day , not within one month.
- Failure to mention the time limit for bringing an action under Section 4 of the KSchG (Section 2(1) sentence 7 no. 14 of the NachwG) — the duty to provide evidence exists, but this does not change the preclusion under Section 7 of the KSchG.