„[Auslassung]: Fehlende Wünsche für die berufliche und private Zukunft“
What this German phrase in your Swiss Arbeitszeugnis (employment reference letter) really says about you – and which grade it hides.
Literal translation vs. real meaning
Literal translation (what DeepL tells you)
“[Omission]: Missing wishes for the professional and private future”
What Swiss HR actually reads
Omitting future wishes acts as a negative signal in practice (grade 3.5), though no legal entitlement exists to force their inclusion.
Hidden rating
Insufficient (grade 3.5)
German rating: Ungenügend (Note 3.5)
What it means in detail
The absence of goodwill or future wishes in a closing formula is widely read by HR as an icy departure. However, court rulings confirm there is no legal right to demand thanks, regret, or future wishes (BGer 4C.36/2004; BVGer A-364/2022). While an employee can politely request an addition, it cannot be legally enforced under art. 330a CO.
How to fix it
The employee should request the addition of future wishes in writing, even though court precedent means it cannot be legally enforced.
Suggested wording (German, for your HR department)
Der Arbeitnehmer sollte schriftlich die Ergänzung der fehlenden Zeugnispassage verlangen, da beredtes Schweigen eine versteckte Abwertung darstellt.
Hidden criticism detected (grade 3.5)
Under Art. 330a of the Swiss Code of Obligations (OR), a reference letter must be true but benevolent. Coded downgrades rarely come alone – the same letter often contains further codes or omissions.
Check your whole certificate freeTelling silence & social conduct
Verwaltungsgericht ZH VB.2019.00365 vom 9. Mai 2020, E. 2.4
The Administrative Court of the Canton of Zurich describes the practice of “telling silence” (beredtes Schweigen): if a quality that would normally be mentioned is left out, the reader concludes that it is missing. Leaving out one group of people when describing conduct (e.g. superiors) is generally read as a hint at negative behaviour.
Read the full decision (German)„Darunter gehört, wenn etwa bei der Verhaltensbeurteilung nur das Verhalten zu Mitarbeitern und Kunden erwähnt wird, nicht aber jenes zu Vorgesetzten.“
Unofficial translation: “This includes, for example, a conduct assessment that mentions behaviour towards co-workers and customers, but not towards superiors.”
Related phrases
- [Auslassung]: Fehlende Wünsche für die ZukunftInsufficient (grade 3.5)3.5
- [Auslassung]: Fehlende Wünsche für den weiteren ErfolgInsufficient (Grade 3.5)3.5
- [Auslassung]: Fehlende Wünsche für den weiteren KarrierewegInsufficient (grade 3.5)3.5
- [Auslassung]: Fehlende BedauernsformelInsufficient (Grade 3.5)3.5
Decode your entire reference letter
Upload your Arbeitszeugnis and get your overall Swiss grade, the number of issues found and a short legal assessment – explained in English.
Check your whole certificate freeRead this entry in German: Bedeutung von „[Auslassung]: Fehlende Wünsche für die berufliche und private Zukunft“