What is a Kündigung (termination notice)?
Kündigung means the unilateral termination of an employment contract – either by the employee (Eigenkündigung) or by the employer (Arbeitgeberkündigung).
It can be given as a regular/ordinary termination (ordentliche Kündigung) or as an extraordinary / immediate termination (fristlose / außerordentliche Kündigung).
Requirements for a valid Kündigung
a) Legal form
A termination must always be in writing (§ 623 BGB) – this means a physical letter on paper with a handwritten signature.
E-mails, WhatsApp messages, SMS or verbal statements are not accepted and are legally invalid.
The letter must clearly state to whom it is addressed and must be signed by the person giving notice.
b) Notice period (Kündigungsfrist)
For a regular (ordinary) termination (ordentliche Kündigung), the general statutory notice period is
4 weeks (28 days) to the 15th or to the end of a calendar month,
unless the employment contract provides for a longer period (§ 622 BGB).
The notice period increases with the length of service with the same employer, for example:
after 2 years of service: 1 month’s notice to the end of a month,
after 5 years: 2 months’ notice to the end of a month,
and so on (stepwise extensions under § 622 BGB).
An extraordinary / immediate termination (außerordentliche / fristlose Kündigung) without notice is only possible in serious cases, such as theft, serious insult, gross breach of duty or serious breach of trust, where it is unreasonable to continue the employment relationship.
c) Justification
Termination by the employee:
The employee is usually not required to state a reason. Nevertheless, it is advisable to remain polite and avoid unnecessary conflict.
Termination by the employer:
The employer generally needs a legally valid reason, especially if the employee is protected by the Kündigungsschutzgesetz (Dismissal Protection Act) (usually in establishments with more than 10 full-time employees and more than 6 months of employment).
Reasons may be:
personal reasons (e.g. long-term inability to work),
behavior-related reasons (e.g. repeated misconduct after warnings),
operational reasons (e.g. redundancy, restructuring).
d) Delivery of the notice
Ideally, the termination letter should be handed over in person, with a written acknowledgement of receipt and date.
Alternatively, it can be sent by registered mail with proof of delivery (Einschreiben) so that the employer or employee cannot later dispute that it was received.
Sample termination letter by the employee (Eigenkündigung)
Below is a simple template for a resignation submitted by the employee:
[Name of employee]
[Address]
[Name of company]
[Company address]
[Date]
Betreff: Kündigung meines Arbeitsvertrags
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
hiermit kündige ich mein Arbeitsverhältnis, das am [Datum des Arbeitsbeginns] mit Ihnen geschlossen wurde, ordentlich und fristgerecht zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt.
Bitte bestätigen Sie mir schriftlich den Erhalt dieser Kündigung sowie das Beendigungsdatum des Arbeitsverhältnisses. Außerdem bitte ich Sie um ein qualifiziertes Arbeitszeugnis.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
[Handwritten signature]
[Name]
Short translation / meaning in English:
“By this letter I hereby terminate my employment contract, concluded on …, in due and proper form in accordance with the applicable notice period. I kindly ask you to confirm receipt of this notice and to inform me of the exact end date of the employment relationship, and to issue a qualified job reference.”
Important notes
You should always read your employment contract carefully, as it may contain special rules on notice periods or on how a resignation must be submitted.
If you experience problems – in particular in the case of a termination by the employer – you should seek advice from a trade union, works council, or a lawyer specialized in labour law.
If you believe that the termination is unlawful, you usually have only 3 weeks to file a claim with the Labour Court (Arbeitsgericht). If you miss this deadline, the termination is usually deemed valid.
Summary
A Kündigung must be in writing and personally signed.
The statutory or contractually agreed notice period must be observed.
Both parties – employer and employee – can end the employment relationship, but the employer often needs a legally justifiable reason for the termination.
Disclaimer
The editorial team of this website strives to provide accurate information based on thorough research and consultation of multiple sources. However, errors may still occur, or some details may not be fully verified.
Therefore, the information in these articles should be regarded only as an initial, non-binding reference. For definitive and legally binding advice, always contact the competent authorities, advisory bodies or a qualified labour-law professional.
