„wegen seiner geselligen Art im Team 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)
“...very popular in the team because of his sociable nature...”
What Swiss HR actually reads
An indication of excessive alcohol consumption or inappropriate distraction of colleagues during working hours (grade 3.0).
Hidden rating
Weak / Deficient (Grade 3.0)
German rating: Schwach / Mangelhaft (Note 3.0)
What it means in detail
Under Swiss labor law (art. 330a CO), the principle of goodwill leads to heavily coded warnings. Describing an employee as "sociable" ("gesellig") in a team context is a well-known code in Switzerland for workplace distractions or inappropriate drinking. It signals poor work discipline to potential employers.
How to fix it
It is recommended to lodge a written objection with the employer and request that the 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 3.0)
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.
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 war er im Team sehr beliebtWeak / Poor (grade 3.0)3.0
- wegen seiner geselligen Art im Kollegenkreis sehr beliebtWeak / Poor (grade 3.0)3.0
- wegen ihrer geselligen Art im Team geschätztInsufficient (grade 3.5)3.5
- wegen seiner geselligen Art im Kollegenkreis beliebtInsufficient (grade 3.5)3.5
Decode your entire reference letter
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Check your whole certificate freeRead this entry in German: Bedeutung von „wegen seiner geselligen Art im Team sehr beliebt“