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Phrase dictionary (759 entries)

Swiss Reference Letter Phrases Decoded

Swiss employers are legally required to word reference letters benevolently (Art. 330a of the Swiss Code of Obligations). That is why a coded language has developed: a sentence that sounds like praise in a literal translation can actually mean an average or poor grade. Look up the German phrases from your Arbeitszeugnis and see what Swiss HR really reads.

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Decode a sentence from your reference letter

Paste a German sentence from your Arbeitszeugnis. It is matched against 539 known Swiss reference-letter codes right in your browser – nothing is uploaded or stored.

Performance & satisfaction

How satisfied the employer was with your work – the core of the Swiss grade.

Conduct towards superiors, colleagues & clients

Behaviour statements. The order and the people mentioned (or left out) carry meaning.

Closing statements

Thanks, regret and good wishes at the end of the letter – or their absence.

Omissions (“telling silence”)

What is missing can be as damaging as what is written.

Single phrases are only half the story

Omissions, the order of statements and the closing formula all change the overall grade. Upload your Arbeitszeugnis for a free overall grade, the number of issues found and a short legal assessment – in English.

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