“Silent dismissal”: what employment law says about it

Triggered by a Tiktok video, the term “quiet quitting” is making a name for itself – this refers to “silent dismissal” or so-called service by the book. In an interview with Legal Tribune Online (LTO), Michael Fuhlrott explains when such behavior is still covered by employment law and when it is relevant to dismissal. Prof. Dr. Michael Fuhlrott is a specialist lawyer for employment law in Hamburg and explains “quiet quitting”: “In this case, the person can certainly be capable and willing to perform, but only within the contractual framework. The work performance can therefore be faultless. But: I don’t work overtime, I don’t take on extra work and I don’t volunteer to take on extra tasks or special projects.” According to him, this does not necessarily have any relevance under employment law: “As long as the employee does what they are contractually obliged to do, the scope for action under employment law is very limited.”