Insolvency and liquidation proceedings inevitably raise the question of how competing creditor claims are ranked. One area of particular importance is the treatment of employee claims, as legislators typically grant them special protection to safeguard livelihoods. Hungarian insolvency law reflects this policy by granting priority status to certain employee entitlements.

When Do Employee Claims Rank Ahead of Other Creditors?

In insolvency and liquidation proceedings, the question regularly arises of how competing creditor claims should be satisfied. Of particular importance is the treatment of employee claims, as legislators typically seek to ensure their special protection. Hungarian insolvency law addresses this concern by granting certain employee claims a privileged ranking.

When do employee claims take precedence over other creditors?

Introduction

With Directive (EU) 2019/1023, the European Union has created a uniform framework for pre-insolvency restructuring measures. The goal is to enable companies in financial difficulties to restructure at an early stage, thereby avoiding insolvency and preserving jobs. In Germany, the Directive was essentially implemented through the Act on the Stabilization and Restructuring Framework for Enterprises (StaRUG), which entered into force on 1 January 2021.

Objectives of the Directive and the German Legislator