Summary dismissal after 18 years of service
A summary (without-notice) dismissal after 18 years of service faces a particularly tough § 626 BGB proportionality test. Long-tenured employees regularly defeat summary dismissals — and settle with severance well above the standard half-month rule.
⚠ Same 3-week filing deadline (§ 4 KSchG) applies
Even weak summary dismissals must be challenged within 3 weeks — or they become final.
A summary dismissal under § 626 BGB ends the employment immediately and triggers a 12-week unemployment-benefit Sperrzeit. The legal test is strict: the employer needs a serious cause (wichtiger Grund) that makes it unreasonable to continue the employment even for the notice period. After 18 years of service, the proportionality balance shifts further in your favour — courts demand a particularly grave breach to outweigh long, untroubled tenure.
The employer must also act within 2 weeks of learning the cause (§ 626 II BGB) — missed deadlines are routine winning arguments. Settlement value in defeated summary dismissals is typically materially above the half-month rule.
Tell us about your case
Fill in the form — we will review your situation. Free of charge, typically within 48 hours. We handle German labour-law matters in English.
What happens next?
After your enquiry we review the details and reply with an initial assessment — whether the dismissal can be challenged, how high a likely severance could be and which next steps make sense.
bektas@apos.legal
+49 6222 9599 2400
Response time: we reply within 48 hours on working days. If you have already received a dismissal, please mention it — deadline-sensitive cases are prioritised.
Dismissed? The clock is ticking.
Tell us about your case — we check for free whether your dismissal can be challenged and how high your severance can be. Usually within 48 hours.
Get my free review →Received a dismissal? You have just 3 weeks to file (§ 4 KSchG). Contact us immediately — we can protect your deadline while reviewing the case.