The Kündigungsfrist (notice period) for German employment contracts is governed primarily by §622 of the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB). The statutory minimum for employer-initiated termination starts at four weeks to the 15th or end of a calendar month and scales with the employee's length of service: one month after two years, two months after five years, three months after eight years, four months after ten years, five months after twelve years, six months after fifteen years, and seven months after twenty years. Employee-initiated notice is fixed at four weeks to the 15th or end of any month regardless of tenure, unless a higher period is agreed contractually.
Contractual notice periods may exceed but not fall below the statutory minima for employers; agreements purporting to impose shorter employer notice periods are void to the extent they derogate from §622. Probationary periods of up to six months may feature a shortened notice period of two weeks under §622(3) BGB. Collective agreements (Tarifverträge) may also set industry-specific notice schedules that differ from the BGB defaults, provided they do not undercut the minimum protections.
Termination must be given in writing and delivered personally or by recorded post; electronic communication does not satisfy the Schriftformerfordernis (written-form requirement) under §623 BGB. Employers issuing garden leave during the notice period must ensure the employee is formally released from the duty to work by written instruction, as German law does not automatically imply garden leave from a termination notice. Payroll obligations continue throughout the notice period regardless of whether the employee attends work.