As Germany Prepares to Compel Reserve Service, Employers Demand Right to Know Who Could Be Called Up

Germany’s business lobby is pressing for new legal powers to identify which employees might be pulled into mandatory military reserve duty, as the government moves to scrap the principle of double voluntariness underpinning the country’s reserve system. The call comes ahead of a planned Reservestärkungsgesetz (Reserve Strengthening Act) drafted by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

Under the current framework, reservists can only be deployed if both the individual and the employer agree. The draft law would change that, permitting compulsory reserve service without an employer’s consent. The Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (BDA), the umbrella organisation for German employers, says it supports the broader security shift but needs certainty.

“The economy stands behind the security turnaround, but we need clarity early on about which employees are affected,” said BDA President Rainer Dulger.

Specifically, the employers want a statutory basis not only to ask about an employee’s reservist status but also to store that data. They also demand a mandatory notification requirement: workers would have to tell their employer if a call-up is foreseeable within the next twelve months. Without such rules, the BDA argues, companies cannot maintain operational readiness.

The Defence Ministry intends to expand the reserve force significantly by 2035, targeting 260,000 active soldiers and 200,000 reservists. The draft law defines tiered obligations. People who completed less than one year of military service can be required to serve up to six months in the reserve, with a maximum of three weeks per year. Former soldiers with at least thirteen years of service face up to twelve months of reserve duty, capped at twelve weeks annually.

Age limits are also being adjusted. Those with at least six months of service experience will have a reserve liability up to age 45. Former professional soldiers can be called up until they turn 65.

Despite expressing general support, the business community remains cautious. A survey by the German Economic Institute (IW) in December 2025 found that only 15 percent of companies had allowed employees time off for military exercises. Another 10 percent said they planned to do so.

The BDA favours retaining the double-voluntariness principle wherever possible. Experts view the coordination between military needs and company operations as one of the central challenges ahead.

Speaking at the Day of the Bundeswehr on 6 June in Neubiberg, Pistorius stressed that defence capacity is not solely the armed forces’ responsibility. The entire country, he said, is called upon.

Military analyst Carlo Masala cautioned that growing the reserve is not just a personnel issue—equipment must also match. The Bundeswehr saw a record intake of around 25,000 new soldiers in 2025, but roughly 30,000 soldiers leave active service each year.

en | boerse | 69504423 |