Law student sues former employer for €100,000 for unlawful dismissal
22 July 2025 17:05
Sebastian Majidi, a law student from Munich, has won €100,000 in compensation, six months of paid vacation, and a written apology from his former employer, who fired him without warning.
This was reported by the German legal portal Legal Tribune Online, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
In 2021, Majidi worked as a part-time waiter in a restaurant. After he initiated the creation of a works council, he was transferred to the kitchen without his consent and later fired. The restaurant declared bankruptcy, the business was taken over by another company, and the student expanded his lawsuit to include the restaurant’s director as a defendant.
While the litigation was ongoing, Majidi earned a law degree from Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich and prepared 36 claims on his own, ranging from a claim for lost tips (€100 per shift) to payment for downtime and uniform laundry costs.
The Munich court found the dismissal unlawful and ruled that the employer had discriminated against the employee and deliberately tried to disrupt the creation of the works council. The court also recognized the manager’s actions as grounds for his personal liability.
In addition to monetary compensation, the company is obliged to provide Majidi with six months of paid vacation, as it failed to inform him of this right. The court also confirmed that tips are part of the income that can be recovered through the courts, a position that was previously considered controversial in German labor law.
On his LinkedIn page, Majidi noted that he had spent thousands of hours studying case law, legislation, and academic materials over four years to win this case:
“I hope that this result will be a beacon for others and inspire them to fight for fair working conditions. It is worth the effort.”
