Quick answer
Important
1. What you are entitled to
Every employee in Germany is entitled to a written reference on leaving. There are two kinds, and you should always ask for the second.
A simple reference (einfaches Zeugnis) confirms only the facts: who you were, what you did, and for how long. A qualified reference (qualifiziertes Zeugnis) also assesses your performance and your conduct, and it is what employers expect to see. You have to request the qualified version, so asking for "a reference" can get you the thin one.
You can also request an interim reference (Zwischenzeugnis) while still employed, for instance when your manager changes or when you are applying elsewhere.
- Written, on company letterhead, signed by someone with authority
- Dated to your last working day, not to when it was actually issued
- Free of spelling errors, crossings-out or anything suggesting reluctance
- A qualified reference must cover performance and conduct
- It must be truthful, and at the same time benevolent
The German words you will see
- Arbeitszeugnis
- A written employment reference from your employer.
- Einfaches Zeugnis
- A simple reference: the facts of the employment only, with no assessment.
- Qualifiziertes Zeugnis
- A qualified reference: also assesses performance and conduct. This is the one to ask for.
- Zwischenzeugnis
- An interim reference, issued while you are still employed.
- Zeugnissprache
- Reference language: the coded vocabulary that developed because criticism cannot be stated openly.
2. The coded language
Because a reference must be benevolent, an employer cannot simply write that someone performed poorly. Over decades this produced a standardised code, and German recruiters read it fluently. Someone unfamiliar with it can be handed a damaging reference and thank the employer for it.
The key is the combination of the satisfaction verb and its qualifier. The formulations below are the conventional mapping.
Conduct, and the closing paragraph
Conduct is graded the same way, and the order matters. A reference describing your conduct towards colleagues before superiors can imply a problem with authority, so the conventional order is superiors, then colleagues, then customers.
The closing paragraph is also read closely. A good reference thanks you for your work, regrets your departure and wishes you well for the future. Omitting the regret, or the good wishes, is itself a signal. A closing that merely states the employment ended is a cold reference.
| Wording | Reads as |
|---|---|
| stets zu unserer vollsten Zufriedenheit | Very good |
| zu unserer vollsten Zufriedenheit | Good |
| stets zu unserer vollen Zufriedenheit | Good to satisfactory |
| zu unserer vollen Zufriedenheit | Satisfactory |
| zu unserer Zufriedenheit | Adequate, and a warning sign |
| im Großen und Ganzen zu unserer Zufriedenheit | Poor |
| hat sich bemüht | Failed, expressed as effort |
The distinction between "vollsten", "vollen" and neither is doing the work here, and so is the presence of "stets" (always).
Phrases that look kind and are not
3. What must not appear
A reference must not damage your prospects beyond what a truthful, benevolent assessment requires. Several things are therefore not permitted, whatever happened.
- Illness, sick leave or disability
- Pregnancy, parental leave or family circumstances
- Trade union or works council activity
- Criminal allegations that did not result in a conviction relevant to the work
- The reason for leaving, unless you agree to it or you resigned
- Any hidden mark, unusual punctuation or code intended to signal something not written
- Religion or political views
4. If the reference is worse than your work
You can require a reference to be corrected. Where the assessment is below satisfactory, the employer generally has to prove the underperformance; where you are seeking better than satisfactory, the burden is on you.
That allocation is useful to know: a reference graded "zu unserer Zufriedenheit" or worse puts the employer in the position of having to justify it, which is often more than they want to do.
Read it against the code before you accept it
Check the satisfaction formula, whether "stets" appears, the order of the conduct paragraph, and the closing sentence.
Ask for a correction in writing
Politely, specifying the wording you want. Many employers used a template carelessly and will change it without argument.
Propose the exact text
Supplying a draft makes agreement far more likely than asking for something better in the abstract.
Involve the works council
Where one exists, it can often resolve a reference dispute informally.
Take advice if it is career-damaging
A claim for correction is possible, and where the grading is below satisfactory the employer has to prove it. Note that reference claims have their own time limits.
Settle the reference alongside a termination agreement
If you are negotiating an exit, agree the exact reference text as part of it. This is by far the easiest moment to secure a good one.
Good to know
5. Frequently asked questions
Yes. Every employee in Germany can require a written reference on leaving, and a qualified one assessing performance and conduct if you request it. Ask specifically for the qualified version, or you may receive the simple factual one.
Literally "made an effort", and in reference language it means the person failed to perform adequately. It is one of the clearest negative signals in the code.
"Stets zu unserer vollsten Zufriedenheit" is the top grade. Dropping "stets", or using "vollen" instead of "vollsten", each lowers the grade a step, and both together lower it further.
No. Illness, disability, pregnancy, parental leave, union activity and political or religious views must not appear. Nor may any hidden code signalling something not written.
Yes, and you can bring a claim for correction. Where the grading is below satisfactory the employer generally has to prove the underperformance, which many are unwilling to attempt. Propose the exact wording you want.
Yes, a Zwischenzeugnis, for instance when your manager changes or you are applying elsewhere. It is a normal request and does not signal disloyalty.
Your last working day. A reference dated weeks later suggests it was issued reluctantly or after a dispute, which readers notice.
Official information
Rules and amounts change. Always verify current requirements using official sources.
Related guides
Amounts and legal requirements can change. We verify this information against official sources and show when each figure was last checked, but always confirm important requirements with the responsible authority before you apply.
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