„bei den Patientinnen und Patienten sowie den Kolleginnen war sie wegen ihrer freundlichen Art sehr beliebt“
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)
“...was very popular with female patients and female colleagues due to her friendly manner...”
What Swiss HR actually reads
The deliberate omission of superiors demonstrates significant behavioral issues toward management, acting as eloquent silence ('beredtes Schweigen') at grade 3.5 on the Swiss 1-6 scale.
Hidden rating
Insufficient (grade 3.5)
German rating: Ungenügend (Note 3.5)
What it means in detail
Under the principle of goodwill in Swiss employment law (art. 330a CO), negative behavior is often communicated via omissions. Praise that covers patients and peers but omits supervisors signals friction with authority to Swiss HR readers. This constitutes an unsatisfactory assessment of approximately 3.5.
How to fix it
It is recommended to lodge a written objection with the employer and request replacing the phrase with a clearly positive performance clause, such as "erledigte die Aufgaben stets zu unserer vollen Zufriedenheit".
Suggested wording (German, for your HR department)
Es wird empfohlen, beim Arbeitgeber schriftlich Einsprache zu erheben und die Ersetzung der Formulierung durch eine klar positive Leistungsklausel (z.B. „erledigte die Aufgaben stets zu unserer vollen Zufriedenheit“) zu verlangen.
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
- wegen seiner geselligen Art im Kollegenkreis sehr beliebtWeak / Poor (grade 3.0)3.0
- wegen seiner geselligen Art im Team sehr beliebtWeak / Deficient (Grade 3.0)3.0
- Wegen seiner geselligen Art war er im Team sehr beliebtWeak / Poor (grade 3.0)3.0
- wegen seiner geselligen Art im Kollegenkreis beliebtInsufficient (grade 3.5)3.5
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Check your whole certificate freeRead this entry in German: Bedeutung von „bei den Patientinnen und Patienten sowie den Kolleginnen war sie wegen ihrer freundlichen Art sehr beliebt“