Start Date for Default Interest in Wage Claims: Correction of Accrual Timing

The Federal Labour Court (BAG) reversed the Landesarbeitsgericht’s decision and reinstated the lower court’s ruling in favor of the plaintiff, ordering the defendant to pay interest starting specifically from December 4, 2012, while the defendant bears the costs of the appeal and revision. The case involved a dispute over wage claims and the calculation of default interest, where the intermediate appellate court had incorrectly modified the start date for interest accrual established by the Arbeitsgericht. The decisive legal basis required the court to correct the error in determining the due date for interest payment in employment wage disputes, ensuring the plaintiff received the full statutory entitlement without the erroneous delay imposed by the appellate body.