All-in-Gehälter und Elternteilzeit: Neue Klarheit vom Obersten Gerichtshof

In dieser Folge unseres Arbeitsrechts-Podcasts besprechen Isabel Firneis und Julia Morscher ein aktuelles Urteil des Obersten Gerichtshofs zur Kürzung von All-in-Gehältern während der Elternteilzeit. Sie ordnen die Entscheidung in die bisherige Rechtsprechung ein, beleuchten deren Auswirkungen aus diskriminierungsrechtlicher Perspektive und erläutern, worauf Arbeitgeber bei der Gestaltung von All-in-Vereinbarungen besonders achten sollten

All-in salaries and parental part-time work: new clarity from Austria’s Supreme Court

In this episode of our Arbeitsrecht podcast, Isabel Firneis and Julia Morscher discuss a recent decision by the Austrian Supreme Court addressing the extent to which an all-in salary may be reduced when an employee switches to parental part-time work. They place the decision in the context of existing case law, discuss its implications from a discrimination law perspective and outline practical guidance for drafting legally sound employment contracts.

Previous and current case law

The Supreme Court has long held that overtime lump-sum payments may be suspended during parental part-time work, as employees cannot be required to perform overtime during this period.

The legal position regarding all-in agreements has been less straightforward. According to earlier case law, a reduction of the all-in salary beyond the proportional reduction in working hours was only permissible if the employment contract clearly identified the number of overtime hours covered by the all-in remuneration.

In its recent decision, the Court clarified that where the overtime component within the all-in salary cannot be determined from the contract, no such deduction is permissible. In these cases, the entire all-in salary serves as the basis for calculating the employee’s part-time remuneration. This applies, at least, to employment contracts concluded prior to the introduction of Section 2g AVRAG.

The importance of contract drafting

The decision underlines the crucial role of clear and transparent contractual provisions. Ambiguous all-in clauses are interpreted to the employer’s detriment and retrospective calculations based on overtime actually worked are not permitted.

Discrimination considerations

The speakers also discuss potential discrimination issues. As parental part-time work is predominantly used by women, significant salary reductions may raise concerns regarding indirect gender discrimination and the prohibition of discrimination against part-time employees.

Conclusion

The decision provides important guidance for employers and employees alike. While it strengthens legal certainty regarding all-in agreements during parental part-time work, it also highlights the need for carefully drafted remuneration clauses and leaves open questions regarding future cases and discrimination law.