TestZen · Einbürgerungstest · Practice

138. What can I do in Germany if my employer has unjustly (unlawfully) dismissed me?

Official German wording

Was kann ich in Deutschland machen, wenn mir mein Arbeitgeber / meine Arbeitgeberin zu Unrecht gekündigt hat?

  1. weiter arbeiten und freundlich zum Chef / zur Chefin sein
  2. ein Mahnverfahren gegen den Arbeitgeber / die Arbeitgeberin führen
  3. Kündigungsschutzklage erheben
  4. den Arbeitgeber / die Arbeitgeberin bei der Polizei anzeigen

Answer options

  1. continue working and be friendly to the boss
  2. pursue a default summons (dunning) procedure (Mahnverfahren) against the employer
  3. bring an unfair dismissal claim (Kündigungsschutzklage)
  4. file a criminal complaint with the police against the employer

Correct answer

bring an unfair dismissal claim (Kündigungsschutzklage)

Explanation

The correct legal remedy is to file an unfair dismissal claim (Kündigungsschutzklage) with the labour court within three weeks of receiving the written notice (§ 4, § 7 KSchG; § 2 ArbGG). This judicial protection implements Article 19(4) Basic Law in labour relations and reflects the social state principle, alongside the substantive requirements for socially justified dismissal in § 1 KSchG. A Mahnverfahren is limited to uncontested monetary claims and cannot determine the validity of a dismissal; a police report is only relevant if a criminal offense is suspected. If successful, the dismissal is declared invalid and the employment continues, with possible claims to wages for employer’s default of acceptance (§ 615 BGB); the works council must have been heard beforehand (§ 102 BetrVG).

Official sources

The German questions come from the original BAMF catalog for the Einbürgerungstest and Leben in Deutschland. Translations and explanations are study aids; verify legal details in the official sources.