Following a change in legislation, courts will be able to order that a dismissed employee’s employment continue (if requested by the employee) until final completion of court proceedings. This change in the rules only applies to proceedings resulting from the employee’s dismissal.

A court order to continue employment can be made both when the termination is deemed ineffective and where the employee is reinstated in his or her job. The only circumstance in which an employee will not be admitted to work despite ongoing proceedings is if the employee is claiming compensation from the employer.

Until now, courts could only order the employer to continue to employ a worker if the employment relationship had yet to be terminated, that is, when his or her notice period had not elapsed. In practice, the length of proceedings in cases concerning termination of employment, which can significantly exceed even the longest three-month notice period, meant that this provision was essentially useless.

The amendment means that employers will need to reinstate employees much earlier, before knowing whether a court decision is final. The new wording of the regulation will also apply to cases that were initiated and not concluded before the amendment enters into force.