Explanation of employee rights to a good reference when leaving a job in Germany. The secret language of references.
Ian Mcmaster hat die ihm übertragenen Arbeiten zu unserer vollsten Zufriedenheit erledigt. (Ian McMaster carried out his work to our complete and utter satifisfaction.) I couldn’t ask for a better reference than that, could I? Well, yes, actually. There’s a little word missing after Arbeiten: stets, meaning “always.” Without that, the reference is good, but not excellent. German references (Arbeits-zeugnisse) have a language of their own, and it is important to be able to read between the lines. In the example above, the two key elements are the presence of the word stets or an equivalent, and the phrase zu unserer vollsten Zufriedenheit. The latter is the highest possible praise. One level down is zu unserer vollen Zufriedenheit (to our complete satisfaction). Below that is zu unserer Zufriedenheit (to our satisfaction), which indicates merely average performance. Comments such as er hat die ihm übertragenen Arbeiten mit großem Fleiß und Interesse durchgeführt (he did his work with great diligence and interest) or er hat sich bemüht, die ihm übertragenen Arbeiten zu unserer Zufriedenheit zu erledigen (he tried hard to carry out his work to our satisfaction) are highly uncomplimentary. Many other phrases have hidden meanings. Sie führte mit fester Hand (she led firmly) is an indication that you were an authoritarian boss. Durch seine Geselligkeit trug er zur Verbesserung des Betriebsklima bei (his sociability improved the atmosphere in the company) suggests you drank alcohol on the job. Sie arbeitete mit größter Genauigkeit (she worked very precisely), suggests that you were a slow, inflexible pedant. The closing remarks (Schlussformel) are also crucial. Ideally, the company will express its regrets at your leaving, thank you for your work and wish you all the best for the future: Wir bedauern sein Ausscheiden sehr, danken ihm für die bei uns geleistete Arbeit und wünschen ihm für die Zufkunft alles Gute. If any of these elements are missing, the reference is not as complimentary. It is also common to state that you left on your own initiative (auf eigenen Wunsch). If the reference says your contract ended “by mutual agreement” (in gegenseitigem Einvernehmen), it suggests that you were asked to leave. For non-native speakers-and many Germans, too - it is impossible to be aware of all the nuances, some of which may be unintentional. It is vital to ask an expert to check your reference, such as a member of the works council (Betriebsrat) or a lawyer who specializes in labor law (Arbeitsrecht). If you are unhappy with your reference, you can ask your employer to revise it. In extreme cases, you can even take your employer to court to get it changed. This can be very expensive, however, and you should seek legal advice before doing so. Further reading: Arbeitszeugnisse, Andrea Nasemann, Falken, DM 16.90