What the six-month probation period actually marks

A contract often states that the first six months are Probezeit. Employees then hear that six months also matters under German dismissal-protection law and reasonably assume these are the same rule. They are not.

Contract period and statutory waiting period

Probezeit is an agreed contractual trial period. Section 622(3) of the German Civil Code permits a two-week statutory notice period during an agreed probation period, for no longer than six months. A contract or applicable collective agreement must still be read carefully.

Separately, general protection under the Kündigungsschutzgesetz usually involves a six-month waiting period and depends on other conditions, including establishment size. The calendar points may coincide while their legal foundations differ.

Dates worth putting on one page

Record the exact employment start, the contractual end of Probezeit, planned feedback dates, holiday or absence periods, and the date any notice is received. Do not calculate only from when a manager announces an intention. Receipt and wording can matter.

A six-month anniversary is not a promise of permanent employment, nor does passing it answer every dismissal question. If termination has occurred, seek qualified legal advice quickly; challenge periods can be short.

A practical reading order

Read the definition of probation first, the ordinary notice clause second, and any collective-agreement reference third. Then check whether the contract contains different periods after probation. Mark ambiguities for HR or counsel instead of resolving them through forum answers.

This guide offers general information, not a legal opinion on a particular contract.