The notice period defines the time between giving notice and the actual end of an employment relationship. In Germany, § 622 BGB sets a baseline: four weeks to the 15th or end of a month for employees; for employers, the period grows with tenure up to seven months.
Many contracts and collective agreements deviate from this baseline. Collective agreements such as TVöD provide markedly longer periods depending on tenure – after twelve years, up to six months to a quarter end. Individual contracts can extend the notice symmetrically, but cannot shorten it below the statutory employee minimum to the employer's benefit.
For candidates, their own notice period is a planning factor – it determines the earliest possible start date in a new role. Anyone wishing to switch sooner can in many cases negotiate a mutual termination agreement, with implications for unemployment benefits and waiting periods.
Lunigi profile fields for "earliest possible start date" help with matching, because many roles have fixed start windows (such as the start of a school year or grant periods).