In Germany, the employer reference letter (Arbeitszeugnis) is enshrined in law. Section 109 of the Trade Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung) gives employees the right to a written reference upon leaving a job. The reference must be benevolent in tone yet truthful – it cannot contain hidden disparagement, but it also cannot be inaccurately positive to mislead future employers.
There are simple and qualified references. A simple reference describes the role and the period of employment. A qualified reference additionally rates performance, behaviour and social skills. Over time, German references have developed a coded language in which seemingly positive phrases map to specific grades – "always to our fullest satisfaction" equals a top mark, "to our satisfaction" equals a clear pass.
Before changing jobs, employees should have references reviewed, for example by employment-law specialists or career coaches. Anomalies such as missing closing wishes, suspiciously short text or encoded criticism can quietly block later applications.
References are an important signal in job search. Recruiters and matching systems read them as quality indicators – including when matching candidates to new roles on platforms such as Lunigi.