Workforce restructuring

We offer comprehensive support to employers who need to adjust their workforce structures to changing market conditions, business strategy or financial requirements. We assist both with processes that require headcount reductions and with more complex restructuring measures, such as organisational transformations or changes to terms and conditions of employment.

We specialise in end-to-end support for workforce restructuring, including collective redundancies, voluntary separation programmes (PDO), and transfers of undertakings. Drawing on experience across many industries, we can support even the most complex projects involving thousands of employees.

Within this specialism, we help clients make use of legal and organisational options that enable effective change management in employment.

We support clients in particular with:

• Implementing flexible forms of cooperation — designing solutions that increase workforce flexibility, e.g. remote work, unmeasured/atypical working time, or contracts tailored to the role.

• Changing terms and conditions of employment — assisting with changes to pay, working hours and scope of duties, and preparing compliant amending agreements and notices of change.

• Voluntary separation programmes (PDO) — preparing comprehensive programmes that enable consensual, mutually beneficial headcount reductions.

• Collective redundancies — supporting planning, documentation and communications for collective redundancy processes.

• Suspension of collective bargaining agreements — assisting employers in concluding agreements to temporarily suspend collective agreements, pursuant to Article 241(27) of the Labour Code.

• Suspension of labour-law provisions — obtaining agreements that allow the temporary suspension of certain labour-law provisions, which can be crucial in crisis situations.

• Transfer of an undertaking (Article 23¹ of the Labour Code) — supporting every stage of the process, from legal analysis and communications with employees and trade unions to the alignment of employment terms, ensuring compliance and minimising the risk of disputes.

We identify key business objectives and select restructuring tools with both organisational needs and legal risks in mind.

By choosing our firm, employers gain access to an interdisciplinary team of specialists — not limited to labour-law experts.