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Informing Bundesagentur fur Arbeit
Hi,
My employer wanted to terminate my contract or start with performance improvement plan but it is not clear yet which option they force me. Should I inform BfA upfront? The issue is next week I will be on holiday and if they send me termination letter, I cannot inform BfA in 3 days. What can I do in this situation?
1 Comments
Hello, thank you for your question!
It’s good that you’re thinking about this. It will keep you on the safe side if your employment should end.
First, you don’t need to inform the BfA yet, because nothing has been officially terminated. A performance improvement plan (PIP) by itself does not have to be reported.
But if your employer decides to put you on a fixed-term contract, you must register as job-seeking with the BfA at least 3 months before the contract ends.
(Short note on fixed-term contracts: an employer cannot simply change an existing permanent contract into a fixed-term one. A fixed-term contract is only allowed under specific legal conditions.)
For regular terminations, you must notify the BfA immediately, within 3 days after receiving the notice. If you register as job-seeking too late, the Employment Agency may impose a one-week suspension period.
https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/en/press/2025-36-avoid-financial-disadvantages-register-as-a-job-seeker-well-in-advance
Since you’ll be on holiday next week (22.12.–28.12.?), there’s no need to worry about the 3-day reporting rule. The BfA offices will be closed for the Christmas holidays from 24.12. to 26.12. anyway, so you can report it once they reopen. Just make sure to notify them on the next possible working day and keep a record of the date you received the notice.
All the best! And if you have any further questions, feel free to ask.