Labor Law and Social Security
What to master
Learn the employment contract: formation, mandatory terms, probation, modification, and termination (by agreement, expiry, employee resignation with notice, employer initiative on lawful grounds, redundancy). Understand working time and rest (normal hours, overtime, leave), wages (minimum wage, payment timing, deductions), discipline, and labour dispute resolution. For social security, know the branches (pension, sickness, maternity, unemployment, work injury) and the contribution logic.
Traps to expect
- Grounds for employer termination: redundancy requires a lawful procedure (notice, selection criteria, severance); dismissal for personal reasons is unlawful.
- Notice periods: resignation and employer termination carry different notice requirements; questions swap them.
- Overtime limits and pay: overtime is capped and compensated at a higher rate; a question may imply unlimited overtime.
- Leave: annual paid leave is a statutory minimum and cannot be waived by agreement to the employee's detriment.
Rule of thumb
For any termination scenario, apply G-P-C: Grounds (is the reason listed in law?), Procedure (notice, consultation, severance?), Compensation (is severance due?). If any element is missing, the dismissal is likely unlawful and the remedy is reinstatement or compensation.
Worked example
An employer dismisses an employee for redundancy but hires a new person for the same role a week later without following selection criteria. The ground may exist in form, but the procedure is defective and the dismissal is challengeable; the employee may seek reinstatement or compensation.