Bavarian doctor fights dismissal over disputed 80-minute staff meeting
A senior consulting physician is fighting her dismissal at Regensburg Labor Court after being accused of time fraud. The case centres on an 80-minute period during which she attended a staff meeting while on paid leave. Her employer, the Free State of Bavaria, now faces criticism over procedural errors in the termination process.
The physician has refused a severance deal, insisting her priority is to keep her job. The court has already identified flaws in the dismissal, raising doubts about its validity.
The dispute began when the physician attended a staff meeting during her approved time off. Her employer later alleged she committed time fraud during the following 80 minutes. She provided a detailed breakdown of her activities, but the Free State claimed some colleagues did not recall the conversations.
The court found that even if the allegations were true, they might only warrant a written warning—not dismissal. Further complications arose when it emerged that the hospital's medical director may not have had the authority to fire her. The Free State also likely missed the two-week deadline required for a summary dismissal. Regensburg Labor Court has now given the Free State until April 17 to address these procedural failures. The case mirrors another recent dispute in Munich, where similar errors and questionable justifications led to a contested termination. However, no broader pattern of such dismissals has been established in Bavarian university hospitals.
The court's ruling will determine whether the physician can return to her position or if the Free State must justify its actions. The deadline for a response is set for April 17. Should the dismissal be overturned, it could set a precedent for how such cases are handled in Bavaria's public health sector.
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