German Restaurants Must Act at 30°C and End Two-Week Vacation Limits, Courts Rule

Germany’s hospitality industry faces a triple shock as new heat-protection obligations kick in alongside two landmark court rulings that reshape worker rights. Employers who ignore the rules risk liability and closure orders.

As summer temperatures climb, a clear trigger has arrived: once indoor temperatures hit 30°C, bosses must deploy measures such as blinds, fans or free drinking water. If the mercury exceeds 35°C, a room is considered unsuitable for work without added protection – air showers or paid cooling breaks become mandatory. Special attention must go to vulnerable groups including young people, older employees and pregnant workers. Trade unions are now pushing for EU-wide binding limits and compulsory paid cooling breaks.

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In a separate legal blow to standard industry practice, the Thuringia Labour Court struck down an employer’s policy that capped consecutive annual leave at two weeks. Vacation, the court ruled, must generally be granted in one block – unless compelling operational or personal reasons justify splitting it. The judges also clarified that leftover leave does not automatically expire. Rather, employers are required to individually and verifiably inform workers of their outstanding entitlement and explicitly ask them to take it.

A second court decision – this time from the Darmstadt Social Court – extends accident protection to home-office workers. The case involved an employee who fell while walking to lunch. The court classified the fall as a work accident, provided the home has been formally designated as the workplace and the trip directly serves the ability to work.

The string of rulings comes as a major reform of workplace safety officer rules takes effect. Since 29 May 2026, the threshold for appointing safety officers under §22 SGB VII has jumped from 20 to 50 employees. The change lightens obligations for smaller kitchens and service teams, but the duty to perform a written risk assessment remains in place for all businesses regardless of size.

Meanwhile, the federal government is preparing an overhaul of working-time law. From summer 2026, a weekly model will cap regular hours at 48, while the daily standard stays at eight. The reform primarily targets unionised operations. Business groups fear a surge in red tape, while worker representatives worry that a shift away from rigid daily limits could erode protections.

On the equipment front, employers must supply free footwear meeting specific slip-resistance ratings – S3 for kitchens (combined with SRC rating) and S1 or S2 for service staff. Failing to do so exposes management to liability.

The sector is also bracing for a potential minijob reform that industry experts describe as an existential threat for Germany’s Mittelstand. Without the flexibility these mini-jobs provide, they warn, the already acute labour shortage will worsen.

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Hygiene authorities are maintaining a tight grip. Spot checks in major cities last year forced a significant share of restaurants to close temporarily. The most frequent violations: mouldy equipment and inadequate cleaning of counter areas.

With heat rules, court rulings, a shifting safety-officer landscape and a working-time revamp all hitting at once, restaurant operators have little room for error.

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