(Manju Ludwig and Hannah Endl)
On 20.12.2022, five IPO students (IPO = degree programs International Personnel Management and Organization) were able to experience first-hand the role they could potentially play as future HR managers at the labour court in Mannheim. At various conciliation hearings of the 8th Chamber of the Labor Court, they were able to experience the variety of labor law conflicts with which the HR management of various employers is confronted. A conciliation hearing is the first hearing in first-instance proceedings at the labor court. By discussing the dispute, the aim is to reach an amicable agreement between the plaintiff and defendant as quickly as possible, which then ends the legal dispute. The excursions were carried out as part of the 4th semester of the International Personnel Management (IPO) degree programs in the module "Advanced Legal Foundations of Human Resources" and were initiated and organized by Prof. Dr. Ludwig Koch.
The lawsuits dealt with included, in particular, the compensation of salary discrepancies following a dismissal and the demand for a severance payment, as there were discrepancies on the part of the employees and the dismissal was perceived as "illegal". Following the individual conciliation hearings, the presiding judge took a lot of time for the students and answered their questions about the nature of conciliation hearings and the role of HR staff at the labor court. He also explained the opportunity for future employees in the HR management sector to act as honorary judges, which met with great interest among the students.
IPO student Hannah Endl saw the day at the labor court as a complete success: "The excursions were particularly exciting for us students, as they allowed us to put the theory we had already learned in labor law into practice and thus establish a direct connection. In particular, topics such as severance pay and protection against dismissal are currently the focus of our lectures and were therefore able to strengthen our understanding of these areas. It was also very helpful that the judge responsible communicated and discussed with us after each hearing. This enabled us to better understand his point of view and learn more about it. In future, we would like to attend conciliation hearings at the labor court more often, as you can also sit in the courtroom as a private individual and gain insights."
