{"id":5345,"date":"2026-10-20T23:49:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T21:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-without-notice-germany\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T23:49:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T21:49:17","slug":"dismissal-without-notice-germany","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-without-notice-germany\/","title":{"rendered":"Dismissal without notice in Germany: when a fristlose K\u00fcndigung is valid and how to fight it"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<div id=\"progress\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\r\n\r\n<header>\r\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/\" class=\"brand\" aria-label=\"BWLAW \u2013 home\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/logo-bw.png\" alt=\"BWLAW \u2013 law firm in Germany\" width=\"42\" height=\"28\"><\/a>\r\n    <nav aria-label=\"Main navigation\">\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/construction-law\/\">Construction<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/debt-collection\/\">Debt collection<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/company-formation\/\">Companies<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/\">Employment law<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/defective-car-from-germany\/\">Cars<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/\" class=\"active\">Knowledge base<\/a>\r\n    <\/nav>\r\n    <div class=\"lang\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Language\">\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-without-notice-germany\/\" class=\"active\" lang=\"en\" hreflang=\"en\" aria-current=\"true\">EN<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"\/wissen\/ausserordentliche-kuendigung\/\" lang=\"de\" hreflang=\"de\" aria-label=\"German version of this article\">DE<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/pl\/baza-wiedzy\/fristlose-kuendigung-w-niemczech\/\" lang=\"pl\" hreflang=\"pl\" aria-label=\"Polish version of this article\">PL<\/a>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/#kontakt\" class=\"btn\">Contact a lawyer <span class=\"arr\">\u2192<\/span><\/a>\r\n    <button class=\"burger\" aria-label=\"Menu\">\u2630<\/button>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/header>\r\n\r\n<section class=\"shero\" style=\"padding-bottom:3.5rem\">\r\n  <div class=\"glow\"><\/div>\r\n  <div class=\"wrap\" style=\"grid-template-columns:1fr\">\r\n    <div>\r\n      <nav class=\"crumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/\">Home<\/a><span>\/<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><span>\/<\/span><b>Employment law<\/b><\/nav>\r\n      <a class=\"serie-pill serie-pill--kschg\" href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-in-germany-what-to-do\/\" title=\"Go to the series guide\"><b>\u00a7<\/b><span>Series: Dismissal step by step<\/span><span class=\"ep\">part 9<\/span><\/a>\r\n      <h1 style=\"max-width:34ch\">Dismissal without notice in Germany: when a fristlose K\u00fcndigung is valid and how to fight it<\/h1>\r\n      <p class=\"lead\">A dismissal without notice (au\u00dferordentliche or fristlose K\u00fcndigung) ends the employment relationship from one day to the next, with no notice period and usually no pay from the following day. It is valid only under strict conditions: the employer needs an important reason (wichtiger Grund, section 626 (1) German Civil Code, BGB), must dismiss within two weeks of learning of the allegations (section 626 (2) BGB), must normally issue a prior written warning (Abmahnung) and must finally pass a balancing of interests that the labour court often decides against the employer. This article explains step by step how a labour court examines a summary dismissal, which reasons are sufficient, what a dismissal on suspicion (Verdachtsk\u00fcndigung) is, when a benefit suspension period (Sperrzeit) threatens your unemployment benefit and what you must do in the first three weeks. It is part 9 of our series &#8220;Dismissal step by step&#8221;.<\/p>\r\n      <div class=\"art-meta\">\r\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\">\r\n        <div><b>Dr Artur Barczewski<\/b>Rechtsanwalt \u00b7 attorney (PL)<\/div>\r\n        <div style=\"margin-left:1rem;border-left:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.25);padding-left:1rem\">\u2248 24 min read<br>updated: October 2026<\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n<article class=\"sec\">\r\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n    <div class=\"prose rv\" style=\"font-size:1.02rem\">\r\n<h3 id=\"definition\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">What is an au\u00dferordentliche K\u00fcndigung?<\/h3>\r\n<figure style=\"margin:0 0 2rem\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/fristlose-kuendigung-hero-1200.webp 1200w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/fristlose-kuendigung-hero-1600.webp 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 760px\"><img src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/fristlose-kuendigung-hero-1200.webp\" alt=\"Employee badge on a lanyard on a desk, illustration for the article on dismissal without notice in Germany\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:16px;display:block\"><\/picture><\/figure>\r\n<p>An au\u00dferordentliche K\u00fcndigung is a termination for an important reason under section 626 (1) BGB. Either party may declare it if facts exist on the basis of which the terminating party, taking all circumstances of the individual case into account and weighing the interests of both sides, cannot reasonably be expected to continue the employment relationship even until the end of the ordinary notice period. In everyday language it is called fristlose K\u00fcndigung, dismissal without notice, because the employer need not observe a notice period under section 622 BGB. That is not entirely precise: an extraordinary dismissal can also be declared with a so-called social run-out period (soziale Auslauffrist), for instance where a collective agreement excludes ordinary dismissal and the employer must nevertheless grant the employee a period equivalent to the ordinary notice period (Federal Labour Court, BAG, judgment of 18 October 2000, 2 AZR 627\/99, headnote 1). The difference from an ordinary dismissal therefore lies not in the notice period but in the reason: outside the Protection Against Dismissal Act (KSchG) an ordinary dismissal needs no reason at all, an extraordinary dismissal always needs one.<\/p>\r\n<p>This has an important consequence for employees in small businesses and in the first six months. General protection against dismissal under section 1 KSchG applies only after six months of service and only in establishments that regularly employ more than ten employees (section 23 (1) KSchG). Section 626 BGB, by contrast, applies to every employment relationship: in a small business, during the probation period, in a mini-job and under a fixed-term contract. Anyone dismissed without notice during probation can contest the summary dismissal even though the employer could have dismissed with two weeks&#8217; ordinary notice (section 622 (3) BGB). The Protection Against Dismissal Act leaves the right to extraordinary dismissal untouched but refers to the same three-week deadline for the claim as for an ordinary dismissal (section 13 (1) sentences 1 and 2 KSchG).<\/p>\r\n<p>In practice most summary dismissals are conduct-related: the employer accuses the employee of a serious breach of duty such as theft, time fraud, insults or persistent refusal to work. In addition there is the dismissal on suspicion, where a strong suspicion suffices, and in rare cases an extraordinary dismissal for reasons in the person of the employee or for operational reasons. More on all three groups below.<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"requirements\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">What are the requirements for a valid summary dismissal?<\/h3>\r\n<p>The labour court examines an extraordinary dismissal in a fixed order. If only one requirement is missing, the dismissal is invalid. For you as an employee each of these stages is a possible point of attack.<\/p>\r\n<ul><li><strong>Written form and receipt:<\/strong> The dismissal must be in writing with a handwritten signature (section 623 BGB, section 126 (1) BGB). A summary dismissal by e-mail, WhatsApp, text message or orally is void (section 125 sentence 1 BGB). It takes effect when it reaches you (section 130 (1) BGB). On receipt during holidays and delivery to your letterbox see our <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-in-germany-what-to-do\/\">guide to dismissal in Germany<\/a>.<\/li><li><strong>Power of attorney:<\/strong> If the dismissal is signed not by the employer but, say, by an HR officer without an original power of attorney attached, you can reject it without undue delay, and it is then invalid (section 174 sentence 1 BGB). This does not apply if you had been informed of the authority, for example because the signatory is known as head of HR or as an authorised officer (Prokurist) (section 174 sentence 2 BGB).<\/li><li><strong>Two-week deadline:<\/strong> The dismissal must reach you within two weeks of the date on which the person entitled to dismiss obtained knowledge of the facts relevant to the dismissal (section 626 (2) sentences 1 and 2 BGB).<\/li><li><strong>Important reason:<\/strong> There must be facts that are in themselves capable of justifying a summary dismissal, and the balancing of interests in the individual case must come out in the employer&#8217;s favour (section 626 (1) BGB). This normally includes a prior written warning.<\/li><li><strong>Works council:<\/strong> If a works council (Betriebsrat) exists, the employer must consult it before the dismissal. Without consultation the dismissal is invalid (section 102 (1) sentence 3 Works Constitution Act, BetrVG). For an extraordinary dismissal the works council has three days to raise objections (section 102 (2) sentence 3 BetrVG).<\/li><li><strong>Special protection:<\/strong> For severely disabled employees, pregnant employees, employees on parental leave, works council members and apprentices further hurdles apply, see below.<\/li><\/ul>\r\n<p>The employer must prove all facts constituting the important reason and also that it met the two-week deadline. You do not have to prove your innocence. You must, however, meet the three-week deadline: anyone who does not file an unfair dismissal claim (K\u00fcndigungsschutzklage) within three weeks of receiving the dismissal can no longer rely on its invalidity, and the dismissal is deemed valid from the outset (section 13 (1) sentence 2, section 4 sentence 1, section 7 KSchG). How to calculate the deadline is shown in <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/unfair-dismissal-claim-deadline-germany\/\">part 1 of the series<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"two-weeks\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">The two-week deadline: when must the employer dismiss?<\/h3>\r\n<p>The deadline in section 626 (2) BGB is not a notice period but a cut-off period for declaring the dismissal (Ausschlussfrist). It starts at the moment the person entitled to dismiss obtains knowledge of the facts relevant to the dismissal and ends after two weeks (section 187 (1), section 188 (2) BGB). What counts is receipt of the dismissal by you, not its signature or posting. If the dismissal arrives even one day late, it is invalid, regardless of how serious the allegation is. There is no reinstatement of the deadline. For the deadline to start, the BAG requires reliable and sufficiently complete knowledge of the facts, mere assumptions or grossly negligent ignorance do not set it running (BAG, judgment of 27 February 2020, 2 AZR 570\/19, para. 29).<\/p>\r\n<figure style=\"margin:2rem 0\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 760 330\" role=\"img\" aria-labelledby=\"fr-en\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;display:block;max-width:760px\">\r\n<title id=\"fr-en\">The employer&#8217;s two-week deadline (section 626 (2) BGB)<\/title>\r\n<rect x=\"0\" y=\"0\" width=\"760\" height=\"330\" rx=\"16\" fill=\"#F4F7FB\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"24\" y=\"36\" font-size=\"18\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"start\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">The employer&#8217;s two-week deadline (section 626 (2) BGB)<\/text>\r\n<defs><marker id=\"faEN\" markerWidth=\"8\" markerHeight=\"8\" refX=\"4\" refY=\"4\" orient=\"auto\"><path d=\"M0 0 L8 4 L0 8 z\" fill=\"#5B6774\"\/><\/marker><\/defs>\r\n<line x1=\"60\" y1=\"150\" x2=\"720\" y2=\"150\" stroke=\"#5B6774\" stroke-width=\"3\" marker-end=\"url(#faEN)\"\/>\r\n<rect x=\"60\" y=\"138\" width=\"170\" height=\"24\" rx=\"12\" fill=\"#D5DFEC\"\/>\r\n<rect x=\"230\" y=\"138\" width=\"330\" height=\"24\" rx=\"12\" fill=\"#41608D\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"395\" y=\"155\" font-size=\"12\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#FFFFFF\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">14<\/text>\r\n<rect x=\"560\" y=\"138\" width=\"150\" height=\"24\" rx=\"12\" fill=\"#C25531\" opacity=\".85\"\/>\r\n<circle cx=\"230\" cy=\"150\" r=\"8\" fill=\"#41608D\" stroke=\"#FFFFFF\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/>\r\n<circle cx=\"560\" cy=\"150\" r=\"8\" fill=\"#C25531\" stroke=\"#FFFFFF\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"145\" y=\"62\" font-size=\"13\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#5B6774\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Investigation \u201cwith due<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"145\" y=\"78\" font-size=\"13\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#5B6774\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">speed\u201d<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"145\" y=\"96\" font-size=\"11\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#5B6774\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">hearing of the employee as a<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"145\" y=\"109\" font-size=\"11\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#5B6774\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">rule within one week, only<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"145\" y=\"122\" font-size=\"11\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#5B6774\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">then does the clock start<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"560\" y=\"62\" font-size=\"14\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#C25531\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Day 14<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"560\" y=\"96\" font-size=\"11\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">dismissal must be RECEIVED by this<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"560\" y=\"109\" font-size=\"11\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">day at the latest<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"230\" y=\"190\" font-size=\"14\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#41608D\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Day 0<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"230\" y=\"208\" font-size=\"11\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">person entitled to dismiss has<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"230\" y=\"221\" font-size=\"11\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">certain knowledge of the facts<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"640\" y=\"190\" font-size=\"14\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#C25531\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Afterwards<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"640\" y=\"208\" font-size=\"11\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">summary dismissal excluded,<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"640\" y=\"221\" font-size=\"11\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">only ordinary dismissal<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"640\" y=\"234\" font-size=\"11\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">possible<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"380\" y=\"300\" font-size=\"12\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#5B6774\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Consulting the works council does not suspend the deadline<\/text>\r\n<\/svg><\/figure>\r\n<p>The knowledge must be held by the person entitled to dismiss, that is the person who decides on dismissals in the business. In a GmbH this is the managing director, in larger companies usually the head of HR. What a foreman, a colleague or the security staff observed does not yet count as long as it has not been passed on to the decision-maker. After a suspicion comes to light the employer may also investigate first. As long as it pursues the clarification with due speed, the deadline does not start. This includes hearing the employee concerned, which must as a rule take place within one week and later only in special circumstances (BAG, judgment of 25 April 2018, 2 AZR 611\/17, para. 51, likewise BAG, judgment of 1 June 2017, 6 AZR 720\/15, para. 66). An employer who delays the hearing for weeks or keeps &#8220;investigating&#8221; after the employee has confessed loses the deadline.<\/p>\r\n<p>Two special cases matter. In the case of a continuing state of affairs, such as a competing activity pursued for weeks, a persistent refusal to work or frequent short illnesses, the reason for dismissal arises afresh all the time, the deadline then keeps restarting, and it suffices that the state of affairs still persisted until at least two weeks before receipt of the dismissal (BAG, judgment of 23 January 2014, 2 AZR 582\/13, paras. 14, 15 and 20). A single criminal offence or its suspicion, by contrast, is not a continuing state. If the employer bases the dismissal on the proven offence and not on mere suspicion, it may await the outcome of the investigation or criminal proceedings, as certain knowledge of the offence, and with it the start of the deadline, may only follow from the criminal judgment (BAG, judgment of 29 July 1993, 2 AZR 90\/93, reasons II 1 c). A new fact strengthening the suspicion, such as the filing of an indictment, also starts the deadline for a renewed dismissal on suspicion (BAG, judgment of 27 January 2011, 2 AZR 825\/09, headnote). What the employer may not do: remain inactive despite sufficient knowledge and later &#8220;take up&#8221; its own investigation at an arbitrarily chosen time to restart the clock. A summary dismissal that failed because the deadline expired does not, however, prevent the employer from using the same incident for an ordinary conduct-related dismissal, because the two-week deadline applies only to section 626 BGB. There is no standard deadline for an ordinary dismissal, but the employer may not keep a reason &#8220;in reserve&#8221; for a longer period, otherwise it forfeits its right to dismiss (BAG, judgment of 15 August 2002, 2 AZR 514\/01, reasons B I 2 and 3).<\/p>\r\n<p>Consulting the works council does not suspend the deadline. The employer must start the consultation early enough for the dismissal to be received within the two weeks. How a labour court calculated the deadline in a specific case in which the employer initially believed the employee at the hearing is described in our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/summary-dismissal-germany\/\">the employer&#8217;s two-week deadline and the warning requirement<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>On your request the employer must inform you of the reason for the dismissal in writing without undue delay (section 626 (2) sentence 3 BGB). You should make this request immediately: the answer shows what the employer bases the dismissal on and makes it easier to check whether it observed the two weeks.<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"important-reason\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">What is an important reason? The two-stage test<\/h3>\r\n<p>The law gives no examples of an important reason. The BAG examines it in two stages. At the first stage the court asks whether the facts, disregarding the particular circumstances of the individual case, are &#8220;in themselves&#8221; capable of justifying an extraordinary dismissal. At the second stage it examines whether, taking the specific circumstances into account and weighing the interests of both sides, the employer could reasonably have been expected to continue the employment relationship until the end of the ordinary notice period. Only if both stages come out against the employee is the dismissal valid.<\/p>\r\n<figure style=\"margin:2rem 0\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 760 560\" role=\"img\" aria-labelledby=\"sch-en\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;display:block;max-width:760px\">\r\n<title id=\"sch-en\">How the labour court examines a summary dismissal (section 626 BGB)<\/title>\r\n<rect x=\"0\" y=\"0\" width=\"760\" height=\"560\" rx=\"16\" fill=\"#F4F7FB\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"24\" y=\"36\" font-size=\"18\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"start\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">How the labour court examines a summary dismissal (section<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"24\" y=\"58\" font-size=\"18\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"start\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">626 BGB)<\/text>\r\n<rect x=\"24\" y=\"60\" width=\"712\" height=\"74\" rx=\"12\" fill=\"#FFFFFF\" stroke=\"#D5DFEC\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"40\" y=\"84\" font-size=\"12\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#5B6774\" text-anchor=\"start\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Formal requirements<\/text>\r\n<rect x=\"40\" y=\"96\" width=\"216\" height=\"26\" rx=\"13\" fill=\"#41608D\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"148\" y=\"113\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#FFFFFF\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Written form and receipt<\/text>\r\n<rect x=\"272\" y=\"96\" width=\"216\" height=\"26\" rx=\"13\" fill=\"#41608D\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"380\" y=\"113\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#FFFFFF\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Two-week deadline (s. 626 (2))<\/text>\r\n<rect x=\"504\" y=\"96\" width=\"216\" height=\"26\" rx=\"13\" fill=\"#41608D\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"612\" y=\"113\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#FFFFFF\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Works council, special protection<\/text>\r\n<path d=\"M380 134 L380 160\" stroke=\"#5B6774\" stroke-width=\"2\" marker-end=\"url(#arEN)\"\/>\r\n<defs><marker id=\"arEN\" markerWidth=\"8\" markerHeight=\"8\" refX=\"4\" refY=\"4\" orient=\"auto\"><path d=\"M0 0 L8 4 L0 8 z\" fill=\"#5B6774\"\/><\/marker><\/defs>\r\n<rect x=\"120\" y=\"162\" width=\"520\" height=\"96\" rx=\"14\" fill=\"#FFFFFF\" stroke=\"#41608D\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"140\" y=\"188\" font-size=\"13\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#41608D\" text-anchor=\"start\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Stage 1<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"140\" y=\"212\" font-size=\"15\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"start\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Are the facts in themselves capable of being an important<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"140\" y=\"231\" font-size=\"15\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"start\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">reason?<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"140\" y=\"246\" font-size=\"12\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#5B6774\" text-anchor=\"start\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">as a rule a prior warning<\/text>\r\n<path d=\"M120 210 L60 210 L60 440\" stroke=\"#C25531\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" marker-end=\"url(#arEN)\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"86\" y=\"204\" font-size=\"12\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#C25531\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">no<\/text>\r\n<path d=\"M380 258 L380 290\" stroke=\"#5B6774\" stroke-width=\"2\" marker-end=\"url(#arEN)\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"390\" y=\"280\" font-size=\"12\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#41608D\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">yes<\/text>\r\n<rect x=\"120\" y=\"292\" width=\"520\" height=\"96\" rx=\"14\" fill=\"#FFFFFF\" stroke=\"#41608D\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"140\" y=\"318\" font-size=\"13\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#41608D\" text-anchor=\"start\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Stage 2<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"140\" y=\"342\" font-size=\"15\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"start\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Balancing of interests: continuation until the end of the<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"140\" y=\"361\" font-size=\"15\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#1F2A37\" text-anchor=\"start\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">notice period unreasonable?<\/text>\r\n<path d=\"M120 340 L60 340\" stroke=\"#C25531\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"86\" y=\"334\" font-size=\"12\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#C25531\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">no<\/text>\r\n<path d=\"M380 388 L380 440\" stroke=\"#5B6774\" stroke-width=\"2\" marker-end=\"url(#arEN)\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"390\" y=\"420\" font-size=\"12\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#41608D\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">yes<\/text>\r\n<rect x=\"24\" y=\"444\" width=\"296\" height=\"64\" rx=\"12\" fill=\"#C25531\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"172\" y=\"470\" font-size=\"15\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#FFFFFF\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Dismissal invalid<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"172\" y=\"492\" font-size=\"11\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#FFFFFF\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">(possibly precautionary ordinary<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"172\" y=\"505\" font-size=\"11\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#FFFFFF\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">dismissal)<\/text>\r\n<rect x=\"440\" y=\"444\" width=\"296\" height=\"64\" rx=\"12\" fill=\"#41608D\"\/>\r\n<text x=\"588\" y=\"482\" font-size=\"15\" font-weight=\"bold\" fill=\"#FFFFFF\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Dismissal valid<\/text>\r\n<text x=\"380\" y=\"540\" font-size=\"12\" font-weight=\"normal\" fill=\"#5B6774\" text-anchor=\"middle\" style=\"font-family:inherit\">Claim within 3 weeks of receipt (s. 4, s. 13 KSchG)<\/text>\r\n<\/svg><\/figure>\r\n<p>There are no absolute reasons for dismissal at which the second stage is dispensed with. Even in the case of criminal offences against the employer&#8217;s property a comprehensive balancing of interests related to the individual case is always required (BAG, judgment of 10 June 2010, 2 AZR 541\/09, headnote 2 and para. 16). That is the core of the well-known &#8220;Emmely&#8221; case: after 31 years of service a cashier had redeemed two deposit vouchers worth 1.30 euros that customers had left behind. The BAG held such conduct to be an important reason in itself, even where the value is small (headnote 1), but declared the dismissal invalid because of decades of cooperation without complaint.<\/p>\r\n<p>For the first stage a significant breach of contractual duties is in principle sufficient, fault is not required in every case but plays a major role in the balancing. The most important groups of cases are presented in the next section.<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"reasons\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">Typical reasons for a summary dismissal<\/h3>\r\n<p>The case law has recognised the following facts as suitable &#8220;in themselves&#8221;. Whether the dismissal stands in the specific case is always decided only by the balancing of interests.<\/p>\r\n<ul><li><strong>Property offences against the employer:<\/strong> theft, embezzlement, fraud, expenses fraud. Even items of low value can suffice (BAG, 2 AZR 541\/09, headnote 1). A warning is often dispensable here because the employee cannot expect the employer to tolerate a hand in the till.<\/li><li><strong>Time fraud (Arbeitszeitbetrug):<\/strong> anyone who deliberately records working hours incorrectly, fails to clock out for breaks or has colleagues clock in for them undermines trust in time recording. The courts treat deliberate time fraud like a property offence. Here too the scale, duration and previous course of the employment relationship matter.<\/li><li><strong>Persistent refusal to work and unauthorised leave:<\/strong> anyone who continues to refuse work after a warning or goes on holiday although the employer refused it risks summary dismissal. What matters is that the instruction was lawful. You need not follow an unlawful instruction.<\/li><li><strong>Feigned illness and threatening to call in sick:<\/strong> announcing that you will &#8220;just be ill&#8221; if a holiday request is refused, or working during sick leave in a way that hinders recovery, is a serious breach of duty. Anyone who is genuinely ill, however, may not be dismissed without notice for that reason. On the evidential value of the sick note see our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/sick-leave-germany\/\">sick leave in Germany<\/a>.<\/li><li><strong>Private internet use to a considerable extent:<\/strong> if an employee uses the internet privately during working hours to a considerable extent, this can be an important reason, and in the case of excessive use no warning is needed (BAG, judgment of 7 July 2005, 2 AZR 581\/04, headnote, see also BAG, judgment of 27 April 2006, 2 AZR 386\/05). Occasional browsing during a break is not enough.<\/li><li><strong>Insults, including in private chats:<\/strong> gross insults of superiors and colleagues are a classic reason for dismissal. According to the BAG this also applies to inhuman statements in a private WhatsApp group with colleagues. Only those who show in the individual case why they could count on the discretion of the others can rely on confidentiality, which rarely succeeds for insulting statements about members of the workforce in a group of seven participants (BAG, judgment of 24 August 2023, 2 AZR 17\/23).<\/li><li><strong>Sexual harassment and persistent stalking:<\/strong> sexual harassment within the meaning of section 3 (4) General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) is a breach of duty under section 7 (3) AGG and in itself an important reason, even for a single incident and even for purely verbal harassment (BAG, judgment of 20 November 2014, 2 AZR 651\/13, headnote and para. 17). Nevertheless the dismissal in that case was invalid because, after 16 years without complaint, the employer should first have warned the employee. Anyone who persistently pursues a colleague against her declared will disturbs the peace in the workplace and breaches the duty of consideration under section 241 (2) BGB, regardless of whether the conduct is a criminal offence (BAG, judgment of 19 April 2012, 2 AZR 258\/11, para. 33).<\/li><li><strong>Physical violence:<\/strong> anyone who hits a colleague must know from the outset that the employer will not tolerate it. A warning is generally dispensable here.<\/li><li><strong>Betrayal of business secrets and competing activity:<\/strong> during the employment relationship you may not compete with your employer, not even as a side job. A deliberate breach in itself justifies summary dismissal.<\/li><li><strong>Drugs and alcohol in safety-related jobs:<\/strong> a professional driver who takes amphetamine or methamphetamine and then drives the employer&#8217;s vehicle breaches his duties so seriously that a warning is dispensable, even if the consumption took place in his free time and no specific impairment of his fitness to drive is established (BAG, judgment of 20 October 2016, 6 AZR 471\/15, headnote and para. 41). In the case of alcohol dependency, by contrast, the milder rules on dismissal for illness apply.<\/li><li><strong>Offences outside the workplace:<\/strong> private misconduct is in principle a private matter. It can be an important reason only if it relates to the employment relationship, for example a professional driver&#8217;s private drink-driving or an offence that directly damages the employer&#8217;s reputation.<\/li><\/ul>\r\n<p>As a rule the following are not important reasons: poor performance without a prior warning, a single late arrival, disagreements with the boss, illness (see below) and economic difficulties of the business. A closure of the business or a drop in orders justify only an ordinary <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/redundancy-in-germany\/\">dismissal for operational reasons<\/a> with a notice period, the operational risk is borne by the employer. If colleagues or customers demand your dismissal without any misconduct being provable, this is called a dismissal under pressure (Druckk\u00fcndigung). It is permissible only under strict conditions, the employer must first stand protectively in front of you (BAG, judgment of 15 December 2016, 2 AZR 431\/15). More in our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/druckkuendigung-dismissal-under-pressure\/\">dismissal under staff pressure<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>Illness is conceivable as an important reason only in narrowly defined cases, for instance where ordinary dismissal is excluded by collective agreement or contract, and even then in principle only with a run-out period equivalent to the ordinary notice period (BAG, judgment of 20 December 2012, 2 AZR 32\/11, para. 14, and BAG, 2 AZR 627\/99, headnote 1). In all other cases the rules on <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-due-to-illness-germany\/\">dismissal due to illness<\/a> apply, under which the employer must prove a negative health prognosis and considerable operational impairments and as a rule must first offer <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-after-sick-leave-bem\/\">workplace reintegration management (BEM)<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"suspicion\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">Dismissal on suspicion: dismissal without proof?<\/h3>\r\n<p>A dismissal on suspicion is an independent reason for dismissal. The employer does not dismiss because of a proven act but because the strong suspicion of a serious breach of duty has destroyed the trust needed to continue the employment relationship. The BAG classifies it as a dismissal for reasons in the person of the employee, since the ground is not proven conduct but the loss of trust (BAG, judgment of 31 January 2019, 2 AZR 426\/18, paras. 20 and 24). It is possible as an extraordinary and as an ordinary dismissal.<\/p>\r\n<p>Because a dismissal on suspicion can hit an innocent person, the case law sets strict requirements. The suspicion must rest on specific facts that the employer must set out and prove, and there must be a high probability that it is correct (BAG, 2 AZR 426\/18, paras. 23 and 27). Mere assumptions, rumours or the fact that nobody else comes into question as the perpetrator are not enough. The employer must also have made all reasonable efforts to clarify the matter. Above all this includes hearing you before the dismissal and giving you the opportunity to comment on the grounds for suspicion. The hearing is a condition of validity: without it the dismissal on suspicion is invalid (BAG, judgment of 20 March 2014, 2 AZR 1037\/12, para. 23, and BAG, judgment of 25 April 2018, 2 AZR 611\/17, para. 31).<\/p>\r\n<p>For you this means: take an invitation to a hearing seriously. You need not comment immediately or orally, you may ask for a short period for a written statement and seek legal advice. If, however, you refuse to comment from the outset or deliberately let a reasonable deadline pass, the missing hearing does not harm the employer (BAG, 2 AZR 1037\/12, paras. 25 and 26). Everything you say at the hearing can be used in court. A confession also sets the two-week deadline running. If the suspicion is later dispelled, for instance by an acquittal or the discontinuation of the investigation, you may under certain conditions demand re-employment.<\/p>\r\n<p>The presumption of innocence in criminal law does not prevent a dismissal on suspicion, and the labour court is not bound by the outcome of criminal proceedings. Conversely, the employer may not obtain evidence at any price. Findings from covert video surveillance can be used only if the employer previously had a fact-based suspicion of a criminal offence or a comparably serious breach of duty and milder means had been exhausted, in which case even chance findings may be used (BAG, judgment of 22 September 2016, 2 AZR 848\/15). The court may not use the records of a keylogger installed without specific suspicion (BAG, judgment of 27 July 2017, 2 AZR 681\/16). With open video surveillance that was signposted, however, the court may use the recordings even if the surveillance did not comply with data protection law in every respect (BAG, judgment of 29 June 2023, 2 AZR 296\/22).<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"warning\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">Must the employer issue a warning first?<\/h3>\r\n<p>In most cases yes. Extraordinary dismissal is the last resort. If the breach of duty rests on conduct the employee can control, the principle of proportionality expressed in section 314 (2) BGB means it is generally to be assumed that the mere threat of consequences for the employment relationship will change future conduct. The employer must therefore warn first, that is, specifically object to the misconduct and threaten dismissal in the event of repetition. A warning that merely holds out &#8220;consequences&#8221; does not fulfil this warning function. What makes a valid warning and how to defend yourself against an unjustified one is explained in our article on the <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/warning-letter-abmahnung\/\">warning letter (Abmahnung)<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>A warning is dispensable only in two cases: where it is apparent from the outset that the employee will not behave in accordance with the contract even after a warning, or where the breach of duty is so serious that even tolerating it once would be objectively unreasonable for the employer and therefore obviously, recognisably also for the employee, out of the question (BAG, 2 AZR 541\/09, para. 37, and BAG, 2 AZR 651\/13, para. 22). This concerns above all offences against the employer and serious breaches of trust. For performance deficiencies, by contrast, a warning is always required.<\/p>\r\n<p>Three further rules matter for your defence. First, the warning must relate to comparable misconduct, a warning for lateness does not warn of dismissal for insults. Second, a warning can lose its warning function if the employer threatens dismissal for years and never acts. It must then make the last warning before the dismissal particularly emphatic (BAG, judgment of 15 November 2001, 2 AZR 609\/00). The third warning for minor breaches is, however, as a rule not yet &#8220;devalued&#8221; (BAG, judgment of 16 September 2004, 2 AZR 406\/03, reasons B I 4 b). Third, by issuing a warning the employer as a rule waives the right to dismiss for exactly that incident. It cannot base a later dismissal solely on the facts already warned about (BAG, judgment of 13 December 2007, 6 AZR 145\/07, para. 25). Only a new, comparable breach opens the way to dismissal. Always check, therefore, whether the employer has already warned you for the allegation on which it bases the summary dismissal.<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"balancing\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">The balancing of interests: what counts in your favour?<\/h3>\r\n<p>At the second stage the labour court must weigh all circumstances of the individual case. The yardstick is whether the employer cannot reasonably be expected to continue the employment relationship until the end of the ordinary notice period. The longer that period, the more the employer must show. For an employee with six months&#8217; notice the bar is higher than for an employee on probation with two weeks.<\/p>\r\n<p>In your favour count above all: a long period of service so far without complaint, slight fault, a one-off incident without risk of repetition, only minor damage, contributory responsibility of the employer, for instance through lack of controls or a provocative situation, your age, maintenance obligations, severe disability and poor prospects on the labour market. The BAG puts it this way: the longer a contractual relationship has existed undisturbed, the more justified the prognosis that the stock of trust built up has not been completely used up by a first incident (BAG, 2 AZR 541\/09, para. 47). Against you count intent, repetition despite a warning, a position of trust such as cashier or accountant, high damage and considerable disruption of operations.<\/p>\r\n<p>The balancing includes the question whether a milder means was available to the employer: a warning, a transfer to another vacant position or an ordinary dismissal with notice. The decisive circumstances are those at the time the dismissal was received. Later remorse and restitution have only a limited effect but can support the finding that there is no risk of repetition if they build on insight already shown before.<\/p>\r\n<p>A note for employees who report wrongdoing: anyone who reports breaches to an internal or external reporting office under the Whistleblower Protection Act (Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz) is protected against reprisals including dismissal (section 36 HinSchG). A dismissal because of such a report is invalid, and in the case of a dismissal after a report it is presumed to be a reprisal (section 36 (2) HinSchG).<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"additional-reasons\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">May the employer add reasons later?<\/h3>\r\n<p>The employer need not state the reasons in the dismissal letter. In court it may also put forward reasons it did not yet know when declaring the dismissal, provided they objectively existed at that time. The two-week deadline does not stand in the way, it applies only to the exercise of the right to dismiss itself (BAG, judgment of 4 June 1997, 2 AZR 362\/96, reasons II 3 b, and BAG, judgment of 23 May 2013, 2 AZR 102\/12, paras. 25 and 33). Reasons the employer had already known for more than two weeks when the dismissal was received may not be added, because they are time-barred, nor may incidents that occurred only after the dismissal. The employer can use the latter only as grounds for a new dismissal.<\/p>\r\n<p>In the case of a dismissal on suspicion the employer may add facts corroborating the suspicion without a fresh hearing if you have already been heard on the allegation as such (BAG, 2 AZR 102\/12, para. 29). If a works council exists, the employer must consult it again on the added reasons unless the new facts merely elaborate a reason already communicated to it (BAG, judgment of 11 April 1985, 2 AZR 239\/84, headnotes 2 and 3). If it fails to do so, the new reasons are disregarded in the proceedings.<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"conversion\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">If the summary dismissal is invalid: conversion and precautionary ordinary dismissal<\/h3>\r\n<p>Almost every dismissal letter today contains the sentence &#8220;in the alternative we give ordinary notice to the next possible date&#8221; (hilfsweise ordentliche K\u00fcndigung). This precautionary ordinary dismissal is permissible and takes effect if the summary dismissal fails. It is, however, subject to its own requirements: within the scope of the Protection Against Dismissal Act it needs a reason under section 1 (2) KSchG, the works council must have been consulted on it as well, and the notice period under section 622 BGB or the collective agreement must be observed. For the time until the end of the notice period the employer then owes you your salary.<\/p>\r\n<p>If this sentence is missing, the labour court can convert the invalid extraordinary dismissal into an ordinary dismissal under section 140 BGB (Umdeutung). This requires that the conversion corresponds to the employer&#8217;s presumed intention, that this intention was recognisable to you at the time of receipt and that all requirements of an ordinary dismissal are met (BAG, judgment of 15 November 2001, 2 AZR 310\/00, headnote 1, and BAG, judgment of 12 May 2010, 2 AZR 845\/08, para. 39). The court examines the conversion on the basis of the established facts of its own motion but does not investigate the necessary circumstances ex officio, the employer must plead them (BAG, 2 AZR 310\/00, headnote 3). Outside the Protection Against Dismissal Act, for instance during probation, the BAG regularly assumes that if the summary dismissal is invalid the employer wanted termination at the next permissible date (headnote 2). If a works council exists, the conversion regularly fails if it was consulted only on the extraordinary dismissal. Consultation on the extraordinary dismissal does not replace consultation on the ordinary one (BAG, judgment of 16 March 1978, 2 AZR 424\/76, headnote 1). In your unfair dismissal claim you should therefore from the outset also contest the precautionary or converted ordinary dismissal.<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"special-protection\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">Special protection: works council, severe disability, pregnancy, parental leave, apprentices<\/h3>\r\n<p>For certain groups an important reason is not enough, the employer additionally needs the consent of an authority or of the works council. Without it the dismissal is invalid.<\/p>\r\n<ul><li><strong>Severely disabled and equivalent employees:<\/strong> before any dismissal the consent of the Integration Office (Integrationsamt) is required if the employment relationship has lasted longer than six months (section 168, section 173 (1) no. 1 Social Code IX, SGB IX). For an extraordinary dismissal the employer must apply for consent within two weeks of learning of the reasons, the Integration Office decides within two weeks, otherwise consent is deemed granted (section 174 (2) and (3) SGB IX). The dismissal may then be declared even after the two-week deadline of section 626 (2) BGB has expired, provided it is declared without undue delay, that is without culpable hesitation, after consent is granted, no new two-week deadline starts (section 174 (5) SGB IX, BAG, judgment of 19 April 2012, 2 AZR 118\/11, paras. 14 and 16). Consent is granted as soon as the Integration Office has communicated it to the employer orally or by telephone, service of the written decision is irrelevant (BAG, 2 AZR 118\/11, para. 15). In addition the representative body for severely disabled employees must be heard before the dismissal, otherwise it is invalid (section 178 (2) sentence 3 SGB IX). In these cases the three-week deadline for the claim starts only when the Integration Office&#8217;s decision is notified to you (section 4 sentence 4 KSchG).<\/li><li><strong>Pregnant employees and mothers:<\/strong> during pregnancy and until four months after childbirth even an extraordinary dismissal is inadmissible unless the competent state authority exceptionally declares it admissible in a special case (section 17 (1) and (2) Maternity Protection Act, MuSchG). More in our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-during-pregnancy-germany\/\">dismissal during pregnancy in Germany<\/a>.<\/li><li><strong>Parental leave (Elternzeit):<\/strong> from the request for parental leave, at the earliest eight weeks before it begins, the employer may not dismiss, not even without notice, except in special cases with the authority&#8217;s declaration of admissibility (section 18 (1) Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act, BEEG).<\/li><li><strong>Works council members, election committee members and candidates:<\/strong> they can be dismissed only extraordinarily and only with the consent of the works council or its replacement by the labour court (section 15 (1) KSchG, section 103 (1) and (2) BetrVG). The employer must apply to the works council for consent and, if refused, to the labour court for its replacement within the two-week deadline, and after the final court decision it must dismiss without undue delay (BAG, judgment of 1 October 2020, 2 AZR 238\/20, paras. 14 and 16).<\/li><li><strong>Apprentices (Auszubildende):<\/strong> after the probation period the employer may terminate the apprenticeship only for an important reason, in writing and stating the reasons, and only if the facts have been known to it for no longer than two weeks (section 22 (2) no. 1, (3) and (4) Vocational Training Act, BBiG).<\/li><\/ul>\r\n<h3 id=\"suspension-period\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">Summary dismissal and unemployment benefit: is a suspension period threatened?<\/h3>\r\n<p>A summary dismissal does not automatically lead to a suspension of unemployment benefit. The Employment Agency (Agentur f\u00fcr Arbeit) imposes a suspension period (Sperrzeit) of as a rule twelve weeks if the employee gave cause for the dismissal by conduct in breach of the employment contract and thereby brought about his unemployment intentionally or through gross negligence without having an important reason for doing so (section 159 (1) sentence 2 no. 1, (3) sentence 1 Social Code III, SGB III). The Agency examines this itself. It is not bound by the employer&#8217;s legal assessment and may not base the suspension solely on the fact that the dismissal was without notice (Federal Social Court, judgment of 6 March 2003, B 11 AL 69\/02 R). Under its technical instructions on section 159 SGB III (as of 07\/2026, item 159.1.1.1) the Agency does not await the outcome of the unfair dismissal proceedings, and a court settlement does not bind it. The settlement is, however, strong evidence: if the employer does not maintain the allegation in court and the employment relationship ends by settlement at the regular notice date, the Agency as a rule lacks the basis to prove culpable misconduct. You can object (Widerspruch) to a suspension decision within one month and submit the outcome of the court proceedings. The claim therefore also protects your entitlement to unemployment benefit.<\/p>\r\n<p>Independently of this you must register as a jobseeker with the Employment Agency no later than three days after learning of the dismissal (section 38 (1) sentence 2 SGB III), otherwise a further one-week suspension threatens (section 159 (1) sentence 2 no. 7, (6) SGB III). Registration is possible online. It is not an acknowledgement of the dismissal.<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"first-steps\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">What to do after a summary dismissal: the first steps<\/h3>\r\n<p>The first three weeks are decisive. Within this period you must file an unfair dismissal claim with the labour court, otherwise the dismissal becomes valid even if it was obviously unfounded (section 13 (1) sentence 2, section 4 sentence 1, section 7 KSchG). In practice a claim against a summary dismissal has good prospects, because the employer must prove all requirements and the two-week deadline, the missing warning and the balancing of interests often go against it. Many proceedings end at the conciliation hearing (G\u00fctetermin) with a settlement: the employment relationship ends by ordinary dismissal at the regular date, the employer pays the salary until then and often a severance payment, the reference is worded favourably, and the basis for a suspension period falls away. A statutory entitlement to severance exists, by contrast, only if the court finds the summary dismissal unfounded, you cannot reasonably be expected to continue the employment relationship and you file an application for dissolution (Aufl\u00f6sungsantrag, section 13 (1) sentence 3 KSchG).<\/p>\r\n<p>If you win the case, the employment relationship continues and the employer must pay you your salary for the entire period since the dismissal, even though you did not work (section 615 sentence 1 BGB). You must allow to be set off what you earned elsewhere in that period or wilfully failed to earn, and the unemployment benefit received passes to the Employment Agency (section 11 KSchG, section 115 Social Code X).<\/p>\r\n<p>Regardless of the outcome you are entitled to: salary up to the day the dismissal was received, compensation for untaken residual holiday (section 7 (4) Federal Holiday Act, BUrlG), a qualified employment reference (section 109 (1) Trade Regulation Act, GewO) and the return of your employment documents. A summary dismissal may not be mentioned in the reference if you do not wish it.<\/p>\r\n<p>Anyone who wants to avoid court filings and deadlines can also propose a termination agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag) to the employer. This makes sense only if the agreement &#8220;removes&#8221; the summary dismissal and avoids the suspension period. What to watch out for is explained in our article <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/aufhebungsvertrag-termination-agreement\/\">Aufhebungsvertrag: should you sign?<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"employee-resignation\" style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">Can I resign without notice as an employee?<\/h3>\r\n<p>Yes. Section 626 BGB applies to both sides. An important reason for the employee exists, for example, where the employer fails to pay the salary for a longer period or to a considerable extent, insults or physically attacks you, persistently disregards health and safety rules or instructs you to perform unlawful acts. Not every short or minor delay in payment suffices, the arrears must be substantial or extend over a longer period, and here too the warning takes precedence: as a rule you must first demand payment in writing and threaten termination without notice (BAG, judgment of 17 January 2002, 2 AZR 494\/00, reasons A I 3). If you justifiably resign without notice because the employer breached its duties, it owes you damages for the loss of earnings up to the date on which the employment relationship would have ended on ordinary notice, and in addition reasonable compensation for the loss of your job in line with sections 9 and 10 KSchG (section 628 (2) BGB, BAG, judgment of 26 July 2001, 8 AZR 739\/00, headnote).<\/p>\r\n<p>Beware of the suspension period: anyone who resigns ends the employment relationship and must prove an important reason to the Employment Agency, for instance the payment arrears with documents. A hasty resignation out of anger at the boss is therefore risky, seek advice first. Where wages are in arrears, the right to withhold your work (Zur\u00fcckbehaltungsrecht) is often the better tool.<\/p>\r\n<aside aria-label=\"Series \u201cDismissal step by step\u201d\" style=\"display:block;margin:2.4rem 0 1rem;padding:1.3rem 1.5rem;background:#F4F7FB;border:1px solid #D5DFEC;border-left:4px solid var(--acc-praca,#41608D);border-radius:0 16px 16px 0\">\r\n  <p style=\"font-weight:700;margin:0 0 .3rem\">Series \u201cDismissal step by step\u201d<\/p>\r\n  <p style=\"font-size:.9rem;margin:0 0 .6rem\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-in-germany-what-to-do\/\">Series guide \u2192<\/a><\/p>\r\n  <ul style=\"margin:0 0 0 1.1rem;padding:0;columns:2 16rem;column-gap:2rem;font-size:.93rem\">\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.3rem 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/unfair-dismissal-claim-deadline-germany\/\">The three-week deadline for an unfair dismissal claim<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.3rem 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/warning-letter-abmahnung\/\">Warning letter (Abmahnung)<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.3rem 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/redundancy-in-germany\/\">Redundancy (betriebsbedingte K\u00fcndigung)<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.3rem 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/social-selection-germany-redundancy\/\">Social selection<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.3rem 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-due-to-illness-germany\/\">Dismissal due to illness<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.3rem 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-after-sick-leave-bem\/\">Dismissal after sick leave without BEM<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.3rem 0\"><strong>Summary dismissal \u2014 your defence<\/strong> <span style=\"font-size:.78rem;color:var(--ink-soft)\">(You are reading)<\/span><\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.3rem 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/summary-dismissal-germany\/\">The employer\u2019s two-week deadline<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.3rem 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/druckkuendigung-dismissal-under-pressure\/\">Dismissal under staff pressure<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.3rem 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-during-pregnancy-germany\/\">Dismissal during pregnancy<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.3rem 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/notice-periods-germany\/\">Notice periods<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.3rem 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/german-labour-court\/\">The labour court case<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n<\/aside>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <div class=\"hl rv\" style=\"max-width:760px\">\r\n<span class=\"eyebrow\">Checklist<\/span>\r\n  <h3>You have received a summary dismissal<\/h3>\r\n  <ul style=\"margin:.8rem 0 0 1.1rem;padding:0\">\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.35rem 0\">Note the date on which the dismissal reached you and calculate the three-week deadline for the unfair dismissal claim.<\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.35rem 0\">Check form and signature: only a written, handwritten-signed dismissal is valid. If the signatory attached no power of attorney, reject the dismissal in writing without undue delay.<\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.35rem 0\">Demand in writing that the reason for the dismissal be stated (section 626 (2) sentence 3 BGB).<\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.35rem 0\">Reconstruct when the employer learned of the allegation and secure e-mails, chats, shift plans and witnesses.<\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.35rem 0\">Check whether you have already been warned for the same allegation and collect earlier warnings and appraisals.<\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.35rem 0\">Sign nothing: no acknowledgement of receipt that accepts the dismissal, no termination agreement, no settlement receipt.<\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.35rem 0\">Register as a jobseeker with the Employment Agency within three days and object to any suspension decision.<\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.35rem 0\">File an unfair dismissal claim with the labour court within three weeks, also against the precautionary ordinary dismissal.<\/li>\r\n    <li style=\"margin:.35rem 0\">Offer the employer your services in writing so that your claim to salary for the duration of the proceedings is secured.<\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <div class=\"prose rv\" style=\"font-size:1.02rem\">\r\n<h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem;scroll-margin-top:6rem\">Frequently asked questions<\/h3>\r\n<p><strong>What is the difference between au\u00dferordentliche and fristlose K\u00fcndigung?<\/strong><br>In everyday usage both terms mean the same. Legally the au\u00dferordentliche K\u00fcndigung is the termination for an important reason under section 626 BGB. It is usually without notice (fristlos) but can also be declared with a social run-out period. The decisive difference from an ordinary dismissal is that it always requires an important reason.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>How long does the employer have for a summary dismissal?<\/strong><br>Two weeks from the day on which the person entitled to dismiss has certain knowledge of the facts on which the dismissal is to be based (section 626 (2) BGB). The dismissal must be received within this period. Prompt investigations and a hearing of the employee within one week postpone the start of the period.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Is a summary dismissal without a warning valid?<\/strong><br>Only for particularly serious breaches of duty where the employee could not expect the employer to tolerate the conduct, such as theft, violence or a serious breach of trust, or where a warning would obviously change nothing. For performance deficiencies and minor breaches a warning is always necessary.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Will I receive unemployment benefit after a summary dismissal?<\/strong><br>Yes, the entitlement exists. The Employment Agency may, however, impose a twelve-week suspension period if you caused the dismissal intentionally or through gross negligence by conduct in breach of contract. The Agency examines this itself. An unfair dismissal claim and a settlement with an ordinary termination usually avoid the suspension period.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Will I get a severance payment after a summary dismissal?<\/strong><br>A statutory entitlement exists only through the application for dissolution under section 13 (1) sentence 3 KSchG, if the dismissal is unfounded and you cannot reasonably be expected to continue the employment relationship. In practice severance payments are negotiated at the conciliation hearing, because the litigation risk in a summary dismissal usually lies with the employer.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Does summary dismissal also apply during probation and in a small business?<\/strong><br>Yes, section 626 BGB applies to every employment relationship. Even during probation and in a small business the employer needs an important reason and must observe the two-week deadline. Only an ordinary dismissal is possible there without a reason.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Do I still have to come to work after a summary dismissal?<\/strong><br>No. On receipt of the dismissal the duty to work ends for the time being. You should, however, inform the employer in writing that you do not accept the dismissal and continue to offer your services. This secures the claim to salary for the duration of the proceedings if the dismissal is invalid.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>What happens if the summary dismissal is invalid but the employer also gave ordinary notice in the alternative?<\/strong><br>Then the ordinary dismissal matters. Within the scope of the Protection Against Dismissal Act it needs a reason under section 1 (2) KSchG and must observe the notice period. You are entitled to your salary until the end of that period. You must also file your claim against the alternative dismissal within the three-week deadline.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-size:.85rem;color:var(--ink-soft)\">Legal position: October 2026. This article is for general information and does not replace legal advice in an individual case.<\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <div class=\"mini-cta rv\"><b>Dismissed without notice in Germany?<\/b><span style=\"color:var(--ink-soft);font-size:.92rem\">You only have three weeks to file a claim. Send us the dismissal letter and your contract. We check the two-week deadline, prior warnings and your chances, in English, German and Polish.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/#kontakt\" class=\"btn\">Send your dismissal for review <span class=\"arr\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"prose rv\" style=\"margin-top:1.5rem\">\r\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.1rem\">Related topics<\/h3>\r\n      <div class=\"chips\" style=\"margin-top:.8rem\">\r\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/summary-dismissal-germany\/\">The employer\u2019s two-week deadline \u2192<\/a>\r\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/warning-letter-abmahnung\/\">Warning letter (Abmahnung) \u2192<\/a>\r\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/unfair-dismissal-claim-deadline-germany\/\">The three-week deadline \u2192<\/a>\r\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/aufhebungsvertrag-termination-agreement\/\">Aufhebungsvertrag \u2014 termination agreement \u2192<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/article>\r\n\r\n<section class=\"sec alt\">\r\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n    <div class=\"lawyer rv\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/dr-artur-barczewski.webp\" alt=\"Dr Artur Barczewski\" loading=\"lazy\">\r\n      <div>\r\n        <b>Dr Artur Barczewski<\/b>\r\n        <div class=\"role\">Rechtsanwalt \u00b7 attorney (PL)<\/div>\r\n        <p>Author of this article. Represents clients across Germany in English, German and Polish. <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/team\/artur-barczewski\/\">View profile \u2192<\/a><\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n<section class=\"cta-end\">\r\n  <div class=\"glow\"><\/div>\r\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n    <span class=\"eyebrow rv\">Contact<\/span>\r\n    <h2 class=\"rv d1\">Does your situation look similar?<\/h2>\r\n    <p class=\"rv d2\">Every case has details that change the outcome. Describe yours \u2014 you will receive a specific answer and a fee estimate.<\/p>\r\n    <div class=\"row rv d3\">\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/#kontakt\" class=\"btn\">Describe your case <span class=\"arr\">\u2192<\/span><\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"tel:+4933555310969\" class=\"phone\">\u260e +49 335 553 10969<\/a>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n<footer>\r\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n    <div class=\"foot-grid\">\r\n      <div>\r\n        <div class=\"foot-brand\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/logo-bw.png\" alt=\"BWLAW logo\" width=\"38\" height=\"26\"><\/div>\r\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>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div>\r\n        <div class=\"foot-h\">Practice areas<\/div>\r\n        <ul>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/construction-law\/\">Construction law and VOB\/B<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/\">Dismissal in Germany<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/debt-collection\/\">Debt collection in Germany<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/company-formation\/\">Companies and incorporation<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/defective-car-from-germany\/\">Defective car from Germany<\/a><\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div>\r\n        <div class=\"foot-h\">Information<\/div>\r\n        <ul>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/\">Home<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/impressum\/\">Imprint<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/privacy-policy\/\">Privacy policy<\/a><\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"foot-bottom\">\r\n      <span>\u00a9 2026 BWLAW \u00b7 Kanzlei Dr. Barczewski &amp; Dr. Wr\u00f3blewska GbR<\/span>\r\n      <span>Rechtsanw\u00e4lte \u00b7 attorneys \u00b7 Frankfurt (Oder)<\/span>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/footer>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"sticky-cta\">\r\n  <a href=\"tel:+4933555310969\" class=\"call\">\u260e Call<\/a>\r\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/#kontakt\" class=\"book\">Describe your case<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\r\n{\r\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\r\n  \"@graph\": [\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Article\",\r\n      \"headline\": \"Dismissal without notice in Germany: when a fristlose K\u00fcndigung is valid and how to fight it\",\r\n      \"description\": \"Dismissal without notice in Germany (fristlose K\u00fcndigung): important reason, 2-week deadline, warning, suspicion dismissal, benefit suspension, 3-week claim.\",\r\n      \"inLanguage\": \"en\",\r\n      \"author\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"Person\",\r\n        \"name\": \"dr Artur Barczewski\",\r\n        \"url\": \"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/team\/artur-barczewski\/\"\r\n      },\r\n      \"publisher\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"LegalService\",\r\n        \"name\": \"BWLAW \u2013 Kanzlei Dr. Barczewski & Dr. Wroblewska GbR\",\r\n        \"url\": \"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/\"\r\n      },\r\n      \"datePublished\": \"2026-10-20\",\r\n      \"dateModified\": \"2026-10-20\",\r\n      \"mainEntityOfPage\": \"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-without-notice-germany\/\",\r\n      \"isPartOf\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"CreativeWorkSeries\",\r\n        \"name\": \"Dismissal step by step\",\r\n        \"url\": \"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/dismissal-in-germany-what-to-do\/\"\r\n      }\r\n    },\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\r\n      \"mainEntity\": [\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"What is the difference between au\u00dferordentliche and fristlose K\u00fcndigung?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n            \"text\": \"In everyday usage both terms mean the same. Legally the au\u00dferordentliche K\u00fcndigung is the termination for an important reason under section 626 BGB. It is usually without notice (fristlos) but can also be declared with a social run-out period. The decisive difference from an ordinary dismissal is that it always requires an important reason.\"\r\n          }\r\n        },\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"How long does the employer have for a summary dismissal?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n            \"text\": \"Two weeks from the day on which the person entitled to dismiss has certain knowledge of the facts on which the dismissal is to be based (section 626 (2) BGB). The dismissal must be received within this period. Prompt investigations and a hearing of the employee within one week postpone the start of the period.\"\r\n          }\r\n        },\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"Is a summary dismissal without a warning valid?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n            \"text\": \"Only for particularly serious breaches of duty where the employee could not expect the employer to tolerate the conduct, such as theft, violence or a serious breach of trust, or where a warning would obviously change nothing. For performance deficiencies and minor breaches a warning is always necessary.\"\r\n          }\r\n        },\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"Will I receive unemployment benefit after a summary dismissal?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n            \"text\": \"Yes, the entitlement exists. The Employment Agency may, however, impose a twelve-week suspension period if you caused the dismissal intentionally or through gross negligence by conduct in breach of contract. The Agency examines this itself. An unfair dismissal claim and a settlement with an ordinary termination usually avoid the suspension period.\"\r\n          }\r\n        },\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"Will I get a severance payment after a summary dismissal?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n            \"text\": \"A statutory entitlement exists only through the application for dissolution under section 13 (1) sentence 3 KSchG, if the dismissal is unfounded and you cannot reasonably be expected to continue the employment relationship. In practice severance payments are negotiated at the conciliation hearing, because the litigation risk in a summary dismissal usually lies with the employer.\"\r\n          }\r\n        },\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"Does summary dismissal also apply during probation and in a small business?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n            \"text\": \"Yes, section 626 BGB applies to every employment relationship. Even during probation and in a small business the employer needs an important reason and must observe the two-week deadline. 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Within the scope of the Protection Against Dismissal Act it needs a reason under section 1 (2) KSchG and must observe the notice period. You are entitled to your salary until the end of that period. You must also file your claim against the alternative dismissal within the three-week deadline.\"\r\n          }\r\n        }\r\n      ]\r\n    }\r\n  ]\r\n}\r\n<\/script>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Construction Debt collection Companies Employment law Cars Knowledge base EN DE PL Contact a lawyer \u2192 \u2630 Home\/Knowledge base\/Employment law \u00a7Series: Dismissal step by steppart 9 Dismissal without notice in Germany: when a fristlose K\u00fcndigung is valid and how to fight it A dismissal without notice (au\u00dferordentliche or fristlose K\u00fcndigung) ends the employment relationship from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5347,"parent":4417,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-bwlaw-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":"","rank_math_title":"Dismissal without notice in Germany: your rights | BWLAW","rank_math_description":"Dismissal without notice in Germany (fristlose K\u00fcndigung): important reason, 2-week deadline, warning, suspicion dismissal, benefit suspension, 3-week claim.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"dismissal without notice germany","rank_math_robots":[]},"class_list":["post-5345","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"bwlaw_import":{"lang":"en","template":"template-bwlaw-page.php"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5345","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=5345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5345\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4417"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}