Friday Termination Peak and Gender Gap: New German Analysis of 3,200 Job Losses

A comprehensive analysis of more than 3,200 dismissed workers in Germany reveals that men account for 57.4 percent of all layoffs — and nearly half of them are married. The Kündigungsatlas 2026, as the study is called, paints a detailed picture of who loses their job and under what circumstances.

The average age of those dismissed is 41.4 years. The 31-to-40 age bracket is hit hardest, comprising 34.4 percent of all cases. Overall, 46.7 percent of terminated workers are married.

Timing matters — and so does the pay gap

Fridays are the most common day for a termination, accounting for 19.6 percent of all dismissals. More than half of all employment contracts — 53.9 percent — end at the end of a calendar month.

The gender disparity extends beyond who gets fired to what they receive afterward. Men get an average severance payment of around €8,350, while women receive only about €5,836. The gender pay gap, the analysis notes, persists even in the moment of job loss.

Lack of reasons and the three-week deadline

In 64.7 percent of cases, termination letters give no reason for the dismissal. For employees, the three-week period to file a wrongful-dismissal lawsuit remains the key hurdle. As a rule, there is no legal entitlement to severance — exceptions arise only in operational redundancies with a social plan or through court settlements.

Courts tighten rules on internal probes, sick notes and disabled workers

The Munich Higher Labour Court ruled in June 2025 that employees do not have the right under the GDPR to receive a complete copy of an internal investigation report. However, they can assert a right under the Works Constitution Act to inspect their personnel file. Whistleblowers’ interests must be protected through redactions.

In a 2022 decision, the European Court of Justice strengthened the rights of severely disabled workers during probation. A dismissal within the first six months is only permissible if the employer has first checked whether a transfer to a vacant, suitable position is possible. This affects German dismissal protection, which normally only applies after the six-month waiting period.

The Cologne Higher Labour Court has clarified the evidentiary value of sick notes. Employers may challenge a note if there is a close temporal link between workplace conflicts or the return of company equipment and the sick leave. In such cases, the employee must provide more detailed proof of the illness — otherwise the right to continued wage payment may lapse.

Mass layoffs: what the Ford case illustrates

During major restructurings — such as the roughly 3,500 job cuts Ford announced for its Cologne plant in June 2026 — mass-dismissal notifications play a decisive role. The Federal Labour Court had already ruled in February 2020 that the definition of an "establishment" must be determined under EU law and socio-economic criteria. Collective-bargaining exceptions for divisional structures must not undermine the jurisdiction of the Federal Employment Agency.

In such situations, social plans are often negotiated. Typical severance formulas combine monthly salary, years of service and a multiplier between 0.5 and 1.5. Accompanying transfer measures may be funded through education vouchers from the Federal Employment Agency.

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