Can my employer assign me new tasks?

Berlin (dpa/tmn) – Anyone who signs an employment contract usually knows what the tasks are in the new job. Small movements are usually unproblematic over a career. But what if your superior suddenly asks you to take on a completely new task that seems to have nothing to do with your original tasks?

“As part of the employment contract clauses, the employer has the right to provide guidance or direction,” said Alexander Bredereck, a lawyer specializing in labor law. This means that he can distribute tasks within the framework defined in the employment contract.

New activities at work – employers have this opportunity

However, there are many employment contracts that allow an employer to assign other tasks. But important: “Even in these cases, the right to provide guidance is not unlimited,” says Bredereck.

Anyone who has been hired as a baker, for example, does not suddenly have to work as a night watchman – according to the specialist lawyer, the employer is not allowed to assign tasks that are completely outside the original job description. However, there is an opportunity: For example, it could happen that a lawyer who previously worked primarily in labor law must also take on tenancy law matters if the employer requests this.

So it often depends on the individual case. However, Bredereck recommends not refusing to take on a new task immediately, but instead doing the work “with reserves” and getting legal advice at the same time. In this way it can be clarified whether the assignment of new tasks is allowed or not.

What is possible in a change notice?

If a new activity is not covered by the employment contract, the employer has only one option: he must issue a so-called change notice. According to Bredereck, this is a complex process. Employees can take legal action against this by filing a dismissal defense lawsuit.

Important note: If employees perform a new task over a long period of time without protest, this could be seen as a change to the employment contract, says Bredereck. This means that the new job can be an integral part of the working relationship in the future. Anyone who disagrees with a new action should act quickly and seek legal advice.