„geselliger Kollege, der die Kaffeepausen bereicherte“
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)
“...sociable colleague who enriched the coffee breaks...”
What Swiss HR actually reads
Distraction through private conversations or idle gossip at the expense of working time, reflecting 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
Swiss employment references follow the principle of goodwill (art. 330a CO), which leads to coded expressions for poor behavior. Mentioning coffee breaks or socialising in a reference is a strong warning sign to Swiss HR. It signals that the employee wasted company time and lacked focus on duties.
How to fix it
It is recommended to object in writing and request that this phrase be replaced 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
- ein geselliger MitarbeiterWeak / Poor (grade 3.0)3.0
- Im Kollegenkreis galt er als geselliger MitarbeiterSufficient (grade 4.0)4.0
- Bei den Mitarbeitern und Kollegen war sie wegen ihrer toleranten und umgaenglichen Art sehr geschaetztInsufficient (Grade 3.5)3.5
- bei den Patientinnen und Patienten sowie den Kolleginnen war sie wegen ihrer freundlichen Art sehr beliebtInsufficient (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 „geselliger Kollege, der die Kaffeepausen bereicherte“