A
Swiss reference letter code

„Verhalten war korrekt“

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)

“...behaviour was correct...”

What Swiss HR actually reads

Distant but just acceptable behaviour (grade 4 on the Swiss 1-6 scale).

Hidden rating

Sufficient

German rating: Ausreichend

4.0
Swiss grade (1–6, 6 = best)

What it means in detail

The word "korrekt" often signals a certain coldness or distance. It implies that people got along, but did not particularly like working together.

How to fix it

Request an update to "stets einwandfrei" to achieve a grade 5.0.

Suggested wording (German, for your HR department)

Zwingend zu "stets einwandfrei" (5.0) anpassen lassen.

Hidden criticism detected (grade 4.0)

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.

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Relevant court decision

Telling 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.

„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.”

Read the full decision (German)

Related phrases

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.

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Read this entry in German: Bedeutung von „Verhalten war korrekt“