Zalando Stalemate Precedes DocMorris Severance Boost: Union Clarifies Worker-Friendly Terms
23.06.2026 - 22:24:51 | boerse-global.de
A failed round of negotiations at rival online retailer Zalando has cast a sharp light on the severance package that DocMorris employees stand to receive under the company’s restructuring plan. The Dutch mail-order pharmacy group, which operates a major German presence, locked in a social plan on 23 June 2026 after its trade union partner, De Unie, formally clarified that the wording “more favourable for employees” refers to the amount of the payout – not to any cost savings for the employer.
The union’s precision matters because the gap between legal minimums and what DocMorris has agreed to is substantial. Dutch law mandates one-third of a gross monthly salary per year of service. The negotiated social plan, by contrast, offers half a gross monthly salary for each year worked – a 50 percent uplift.
Only three days earlier, on 20 June, talks at Zalando’s logistics hub in Erfurt collapsed. The employee side there had demanded significantly larger sums. Since 23 June a conciliation board has been working to broker a compromise, with the planned closure date set for the end of September.
Stock Moves Up, But Financial Pressure Persists
Investors welcomed the clarity. On the morning of 22 June 2026, DocMorris shares on the SIX Swiss Exchange climbed as much as 1.8 percent to 8.31 Swiss francs. That puts the stock well above its 52-week low of 3.92 francs, hit in March, though it remains far from the peak of August the previous year.
The operational backdrop, however, remains strained. In the second quarter of the prior year, DocMorris reported a loss of 1.06 francs per share. Revenue came in at 260.83 million francs, a decline of roughly seven percent year-over-year. Analysts forecast a full-year 2026 loss of 1.779 francs per share.
Tax, Legal and Strategic Pitfalls for Affected Staff
For employees facing job loss, the higher severance creates a fresh set of complications – especially on the tax side. Since the start of 2025, workers must apply for the so-called “one-fifth rule” themselves to receive tax relief on lump-sum payouts; employers no longer handle that automatically. The severance is taxed initially as regular income, requiring careful advance planning.
A recent ruling from Germany’s Federal Labour Court, handed down on 1 April 2026, adds another layer of risk. Dismissals are void if the mass redundancy notification is flawed or if it occurs before consultation with the works council is complete. Such defects cannot be fixed retroactively.
For management-level employees, alternative arrangements may prove more advantageous. Advisers recommend phased transition payments or the continuation of occupational pension plans. The reasoning: a single large cash payment often sees a significant share eaten by taxes and lost pension entitlements, cutting deep into the net amount that actually reaches the employee.
