Monthly Dose of Germany: September 2026

In our Deloitte Legal webcast on 30 September 2026, our speakers Dr Lars Hinrichs, Dr Thomas Lambrich and Katja Sartori-Röthke will discuss current challenges and developments in working time law. The current Working Hours Act dates back to 1994 and is increasingly viewed as outdated in light of modern working arrangements, such as home working, mobile working, and flexible working hours. Meanwhile, employers are required to systematically track their employees’ daily working hours, even though new legislation is still pending and the reform proposal, which has been under discussion since June 2026, remains controversial. During the webinar, our speakers will highlight the options already available under current working time legislation, the requirements for legally compliant working time tracking and its implications for remote working. They will also examine the changes being discussed as part of the ongoing reform process, particularly with regard to the use of electronic time-tracking systems. Participants will receive practical, concrete guidance on reviewing existing work-time models and tracking processes, identifying potential adjustment needs early on, and ensuring compatibility with modern forms of work organisation.

There were new reporting and additional documentation requirements, as well as a new system for identifying beneficial owners. The EU anti-money laundering package introduced significant changes to the transparency register. In our Deloitte Legal webcast on 16 September 2026, Jens Hoffmann and Anna-Lena Kringel discussed the implications of the new EU-wide anti-money laundering and transparency requirements for businesses. The focus was on key changes to the EU Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR), including expanded reporting obligations, new documentation and verification requirements, and the new system for identifying beneficial owners. They also examined the planned amendments to the German Anti-Money Laundering Act as part of the implementation of AMLD6, providing an overview of the regulatory timeline leading up to the new regulations taking effect in 2027. The webcast offered practical guidance on how companies could prepare their ownership and control structures, as well as their transparency register processes, well in advance of the upcoming requirements.

From 27 September 2026, the implementation of the EmpCo Directive into the German Unfair Competition Act (UWG) introduced significantly stricter requirements for environmental and sustainability claims. Businesses using terms such as “climate-neutral”, “sustainable” or “CO₂-reduced” faced increased compliance obligations, particularly regarding green claims, sustainability labels, climate-neutrality advertising and forward-looking environmental commitments. With no transition period available, companies were required to review their sustainability communications and implement appropriate compliance processes. During the Deloitte Legal Update webcast on 26 August 2026, Sebastian von Rüden, Jana Brun, Lars Essers, Christiane Vrbanic and Christopher Friedrich outlined the upcoming changes and provided practical guidance on how businesses could prepare.

In our Deloitte Legal Update webcast series, we address current legal issues as well as legal trends and developments that are important for corporate practice. A list of some webcasts already held, including downloads of the presentations in English language, can be found here. Please note, that not all webcast presentations are available in English language. For more presentations, please visit our webcast archive in German language.