You’re an expat in Germany. You’ve navigated the Anmeldung, battled the Beamter at the Ausländerbehörde, and maybe even learned to love Maultaschen. You feel like you’re finally getting the hang of things.
Then, one afternoon, your manager calls you into their office. The mood is serious. They talk about restructuring, changing priorities, or maybe performance. And then they slide a document across the table.
“It’s an Aufhebungsvertrag,” they say with a reassuring smile. “It’s just a formality to make this separation smooth for everyone. If you could just sign here, we can part on good terms.”