It’s this time of the year again. After people bought a lot of cyber shit, companies start with firing. Great gift for Christmas, really. November 2020 Liefery, November 2023 Marley Spoon.

In Germany:

Only written down, recorded communication brings anything. Wait for letters, do not talk to them on the phone. Companies know how to deliver letters quickly. My letter came when I went outside home for a lunch break. Great timing. The letter may not have any stamp and say “Per Bote”. It’s not a scam. It means that someone delivered it personally and will be a witness in court if necessary.

“Aufhebungsvertrag” means a polite offer to resolve the employment contract. Don’t be polite. They want to keep their money. And definitely take your time to consider the offer. I know people that worked with me at Liefery who signed immediately in November, and got one month of severance pay less than people who signed on December 1st.

The best money went to the people who sued the company. Do you have a Rechtsschutzversicherung (insurance to protect from legal costs)? As far as I know you won’t be able to join if there’s already a situation going on.

Are you in a workers union like for example Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft ver.di or IG Metall? It doesn’t matter which of these two, they both work hand-in-hand in Berlin 🤝. If yes, you’re probably not even reading at this point, because you’re calling your union.

If not, it may be already too late to join a union. That said, I’ve heard about some exceptional offers if many people join together. Something like a bulk discount for Berlin Tech Workers Week. They are not public, though.

If you think that joining a union is political (everything is political, wake up!) and still want to get good money out of it, get an autonomous lawyer. The best deals that got struck when Liefery was closing down back in November 2020 went to people who sued the company. I believe that it’s even possible to get some free lawyer consultation, but I can’t say much about it for myself. Instead I can help with securing the best offers 😉.