Germany Scraps Employer Veto on Military Call-Ups as Coalition Overhauls Reserve Rules
Published on 07/05/2026 at 10:05 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
Businesses across Germany will lose their ability to block the conscription of former soldiers into the Bundeswehr, under a draft law approved by the cabinet on 1 July. The reform dismantles what the defence ministry calls the "double voluntary principle" – the previous requirement that both the reservist and their employer had to agree to any deployment.
The Reservestärkungsgesetz (Reserve Strengthening Law) is part of a broader push by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius to expand the country's reserve force from roughly 60,000 to 200,000 combat-ready personnel by 2035. Currently, many reservists are not deemed operational because their civilian jobs prevent them from attending training regularly.
The new rules apply primarily to former temporary and career soldiers, as well as anyone who begins voluntary basic military service on or after 1 July 2026 – the law is expected to take full effect in 2027. People who served as conscripts before national service was suspended in 2011 will, under the current draft, not be affected. Reservists can be required to serve up to 12 weeks per year and a maximum of 12 months over their entire career.
Under the existing system, the Bundeswehr could only call up a reservist with the explicit consent of their employer. That requirement will now be dropped. Companies must be notified eight weeks in advance and can raise objections, but the final decision rests with the military.
Business groups express concern
Labour lawyer Arnim Buck warned that the loss of experienced specialists – particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – could threaten a firm’s survival. To cushion the blow, the government has scrapped the requirement that employers continue paying wages during reserve service. Instead, the Bundeswehr will compensate reservists directly for their net lost income.
Employers that hire replacement staff are entitled to higher reimbursements. The Gesamtverband der Personaldienstleister (GVP), the industry association for personnel services, successfully lobbied to have the costs of temporary agency workers covered as well. GVP chief executive Florian Swyter welcomed the inclusion of leased staff.
Additional subsidies are planned for SMEs. Nonetheless, businesses should expect remaining employees to shoulder extra workloads through overtime and, in some cases, company-imposed holiday bans.
Broader labour changes bundled in
The reserve law is part of a 34-measure reform package the federal government adopted on 2 July, aimed at reviving the sluggish economy. The wider overhaul includes the abolition of telephone sick notes and a requirement to present a doctor’s certificate from the first day of illness. It also extends the maximum duration of fixed-term contracts without a specific reason from two to four years and drops the written-form requirement for such contracts.
For high earners, changes to dismissal protection and severance rules are planned. All measures now go to the Bundestag for debate.
Reservists with more than one year of service can also be deployed to EU or NATO member states, as well as on ships and aircraft. The reforms give the military greater flexibility to respond to threats while placing a heavier burden on the civilian workforce.
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