Invalidity of household-related fixed-term employment contract termination

The Federal Labour Court (BAG) reversed the lower appellate court and ruled in favor of the employee, declaring that the employment relationship did not terminate by virtue of the time limit clause contained in the October 2006 agreement, and ordered the employer to bear the costs of legal proceedings. The dispute concerned the validity of a "household-related" fixed-term contract (Haushaltsbefristung), specifically challenging whether the termination at the end of 2007 was legally effective under the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Work Act. The decisive legal basis was the interpretation of the statutory requirements for fixed-term employment contracts, where the court found the specific contractual termination invalid, resulting in a formal declaration that the employment relationship continued or did not cease as claimed by the employer.