The news. On May 7, 2026, the German Federal Labour Court (BAG) dismissed an appeal by a Hamburg-based employer, putting an end to long-standing legal uncertainty regarding the probative value of a registered letter with confirmed delivery to a mailbox (Einwurfeinschreiben) to prove receipt of important correspondence. The ruling aligns with a series of consistent decisions: a simple dispatch note, or even an online tracking status, is insufficient to establish proof of receipt.
The context. The
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As a Berlin correspondent for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business and labour market. My areas of interest include co-determination, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.