The German employment reference follows an established linguistic convention: formulations sound benevolent but convey a clear assessment. Over decades, courts and specialist literature have developed a "secret code" scale that HR departments and applicants should both know.
The Federal Labour Court (BAG) requires references to be truthful and benevolent. Disguised downgrades violate this duty — they are legally attackable.
Common secret codes
"Always striving" — sounds positive, but means effort without success (grade 5).
"With interest in the work" — suggests lack of success despite engagement.
"Understood the tasks" — points to a lack of practical implementation.
"By and large to our satisfaction" — significantly weakens the statement (grade 5).
"Contributed to improving the working atmosphere" — often read as a hidden hint at alcohol consumption or sociability.
HR practice
Use the established satisfaction formulations of the grading scale — they are legally recognised and comprehensible to all parties.
Zeugnis automatically checks for known secret codes and warns about formulations that do not match the selected grade.