{"id":4460,"date":"2026-07-06T10:28:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T08:28:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/?page_id=4460"},"modified":"2026-07-10T11:02:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T09:02:23","slug":"arbeitszeugnis-reference-code","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/arbeitszeugnis-reference-code\/","title":{"rendered":"Arbeitszeugnis: how to read the hidden grade code"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"progress\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n<header>\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <a href=\"\/en\/\" class=\"brand\" aria-label=\"BWLAW\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/logo-bw.png\" alt=\"BWLAW\" width=\"42\" height=\"28\"><\/a>\n    <nav aria-label=\"Main navigation\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/construction-law\/\">Construction law<\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/debt-collection\/\">Debt collection<\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/company-formation\/\">Corporate law<\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/\">Employment law<\/a>\n      <a href=\"\/en\/defective-car-from-germany\/\">Cars<\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/\" class=\"active\">Knowledge base<\/a>\n      <a href=\"\/en\/#zespol\">Team<\/a>\n    <\/nav>\n    <a href=\"\/en\/#kontakt\" class=\"btn\">Contact a lawyer <span class=\"arr\">\u2192<\/span><\/a>\n    <button class=\"burger\" aria-label=\"Menu\">\u2630<\/button>\n  <\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n<section class=\"shero\" style=\"padding-bottom:3.5rem\">\n  <div class=\"glow\"><\/div>\n  <div class=\"wrap\" style=\"grid-template-columns:1fr\">\n    <div>\n      <nav class=\"crumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\"><a href=\"\/en\/\">Home<\/a><span>\/<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><span>\/<\/span><b>Employment<\/b><\/nav>\n      <span class=\"eyebrow\">Employment<\/span>\n      <h1 style=\"max-width:24ch\">Arbeitszeugnis: how to read the hidden grade code<\/h1>\n      <p class=\"lead\">A German employment reference must be benevolently worded \u2014 which is exactly why a code language evolved in which polite sentences mean poor grades. You should be able to read that code.<\/p>\n      <div class=\"art-meta\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/dr-artur-barczewski.webp\" alt=\"Dr. Artur Barczewski\" width=\"46\" height=\"46\" loading=\"lazy\">\n        <div><b>Dr. Artur Barczewski<\/b>Rechtsanwalt \u00b7 attorney-at-law<\/div>\n        <div style=\"margin-left:1rem;border-left:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.25);padding-left:1rem\">\u2248 6 min read<br>updated: July 2026<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<article class=\"sec\">\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <div class=\"prose rv\" style=\"font-size:1.02rem\">\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">Your right to a reference<\/h3>\n      <p>On termination of employment you are entitled to a written reference (\u00a7 109 GewO). A simple reference confirms role and duration, a qualified one also evaluates performance and conduct. Always request the qualified reference \u2014 it matters in job applications.<\/p>\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">The grade code<\/h3>\n      <ul>\n        <li>&#8220;stets zur vollsten Zufriedenheit&#8221; \u2014 very good,<\/li>\n        <li>&#8220;stets zur vollen Zufriedenheit&#8221; \u2014 good,<\/li>\n        <li>&#8220;zur vollen Zufriedenheit&#8221; \u2014 satisfactory (already a warning sign!),<\/li>\n        <li>&#8220;zur Zufriedenheit&#8221; \u2014 sufficient,<\/li>\n        <li>&#8220;im Gro\u00dfen und Ganzen zufriedenstellend&#8221; \u2014 poor.<\/li>\n      <\/ul>\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">What else to look for<\/h3>\n      <p>What is missing also speaks (thanks and good wishes), as do the order of duties and seemingly harmless phrases (&#8220;war stets bem\u00fcht&#8221; \u2014 was always trying \u2014 hints at lack of success). Undergraded or coded references can be corrected \u2014 through the labour court if needed.<\/p>\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">How we proceed<\/h3>\n      <p>We analyse the wording, draft the corrections and enforce them. Reference content is most effectively negotiated together with the severance \u2014 in dismissal proceedings or in a termination agreement.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"mini-cta rv\"><b>Does this affect you?<\/b><span style=\"color:var(--ink-soft);font-size:.92rem\">Describe your case \u2014 we reply concretely and quickly.<\/span><a href=\"\/en\/#kontakt\" class=\"btn\">Contact a lawyer <span class=\"arr\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n    <div class=\"prose rv\" style=\"margin-top:1.5rem\">\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.1rem\">Related topics<\/h3>\n      <div class=\"chips\" style=\"margin-top:.8rem\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/\">Employment law in Germany \u2192<\/a>\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/aufhebungsvertrag-termination-agreement\/\">Termination agreement \u2192<\/a>\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/\">Dispute with your employer \u2192<\/a>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n<section class=\"sec alt\">\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <div class=\"lawyer rv\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/dr-artur-barczewski.webp\" alt=\"Dr. Artur Barczewski\" width=\"96\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\">\n      <div>\n        <b>Dr. Artur Barczewski<\/b>\n        <div class=\"role\">Rechtsanwalt \u00b7 attorney-at-law<\/div>\n        <p>Author of this article. Represents clients before courts across Germany. <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/team\/artur-barczewski\/\">View profile \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <p style=\"font-size:.78rem;color:var(--ink-soft);margin-top:1.2rem;max-width:70ch\">This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The law may change \u2014 consult a lawyer about your individual case.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"cta-end\">\n  <div class=\"glow\"><\/div>\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <span class=\"eyebrow rv\">Contact<\/span>\n    <h2 class=\"rv d1\">Does your situation look similar?<\/h2>\n    <p class=\"rv d2\">Every case has details that change the outcome. Describe yours \u2014 you will get a concrete answer and a cost overview.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"row rv d3\">\n      <a href=\"\/en\/#kontakt\" class=\"btn\">Describe your case <span class=\"arr\">\u2192<\/span><\/a>\n      <a href=\"tel:+4933555310969\" class=\"phone\">\u260e +49 335 553 10969<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<footer>\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <div class=\"foot-grid\">\n      <div>\n        <div class=\"foot-brand\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/logo-bw.png\" alt=\"Logo BWLAW\" width=\"38\" height=\"26\"><\/div>\n        <p>Kanzlei Dr. Barczewski &amp; Dr. Wr\u00f3blewska GbR<br>Rudolf-Breitscheid-Stra\u00dfe 10<br>15230 Frankfurt (Oder), Germany<br><a href=\"tel:+4933555310969\">+49 335 553 10969<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"mailto:info@bwlaw.de\">info@bwlaw.de<\/a><\/p>\n      <\/div>\n      <div>\n        <div class=\"foot-h\">Practice areas<\/div>\n        <ul>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/construction-law\/\">Construction law \/ VOB\/B<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/\">Employment law<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/debt-collection\/\">Debt collection<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/company-formation\/\">Corporate law<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"\/en\/defective-car-from-germany\/\">Defective car from Germany<\/a><\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n      <div>\n        <div class=\"foot-h\">Legal<\/div>\n        <ul>\n          <li><a href=\"\/en\/\">Home<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/impressum\/\">Legal notice (Impressum)<\/a><\/li>\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/privacy-policy\/\">Privacy policy<\/a><\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"foot-bottom\">\n      <span>\u00a9 2026 BWLAW \u00b7 Kanzlei Dr. Barczewski &amp; Dr. Wr\u00f3blewska GbR<\/span>\n      <span>Rechtsanw\u00e4lte \u00b7 attorneys-at-law \u00b7 Frankfurt (Oder)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/footer>\n\n<div class=\"sticky-cta\">\n  <a href=\"tel:+4933555310969\" class=\"call\">\u260e Call us<\/a>\n  <a href=\"\/en\/#kontakt\" class=\"book\">Describe your case<\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Construction law Debt collection Corporate law Employment law Cars Knowledge base Team Contact a lawyer \u2192 \u2630 Home\/Knowledge base\/Employment Employment Arbeitszeugnis: how to read the hidden grade code A German employment reference must be benevolently worded \u2014 which is exactly why a code language evolved in which polite sentences mean poor grades. You should be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":4417,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-bwlaw-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":"","rank_math_title":"Arbeitszeugnis: reading the hidden grade code | BWLAW","rank_math_description":"The hidden grade code in a German employment reference (Arbeitszeugnis): what each phrase really means and how to enforce a correction \u2014 explained by a lawyer.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Arbeitszeugnis reference grade code","rank_math_robots":[]},"class_list":["post-4460","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"bwlaw_import":{"lang":"en","template":"template-bwlaw-page.php"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4460"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4855,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4460\/revisions\/4855"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}