Received a Notice of Termination - What You Should Do Now
- Apr 22
- 2 min read
The moment you receive a notice of termination is a shock for many people. Whether it’s justified or not, you need to act quickly and thoughtfully. In this article, I’ll explain what you absolutely must keep in mind.
1. Keep deadlines in mind—3 weeks is crucial!
If you wish to challenge the termination, you must file a claim for unfair dismissal with the labor court within 3 weeks (Section 4 of the German Unfair Dismissal Protection Act). If you miss this deadline, the termination is generally considered valid from the outset—even if it was actually unlawful.
2. Written form
Notice of termination must be given in writing—notice sent via email, WhatsApp, or text message is not valid (Section 623 of the German Civil Code). Notice given verbally is also legally invalid.
3. Investigate the reasons
The Unfair Dismissal Protection Act applies to companies with more than 10 employees and where the employee has been employed for more than six months. In such cases, the employer may only terminate the employment if there is a reason related to the employee’s person, conduct, or operational circumstances.
4. Register as unemployed
Regardless of whether you file a lawsuit or not: Be sure to register as a job seeker with the Employment Agency in a timely manner; otherwise, you risk having your unemployment benefits suspended.
5. Will I receive a severance package?
Being terminated does not automatically mean you are entitled to severance pay. However, in many cases, filing a lawsuit or negotiating the validity of the termination can result in severance pay, especially if the employer wants to avoid a legal dispute.
Have you received a notice of termination?
After receiving a notice of termination, one thing matters above all else: time.
The course of events is not decided in court, but in the first few days after receiving the notice. Those who take action now secure their negotiating position. Those who wait often lose it—without even realizing it.
If you’d like to know exactly where you stand and what’s realistically possible, I offer a brief, free initial assessment (approx. 10–15 minutes). During this conversation, we’ll clarify:
how your chances should be assessed
what severance pay potential typically exists
and what next steps are important right now.
