Severance in Frankfurt am Main – Your Options Without Upfront Fees

Severance in Frankfurt am Main

Frankfurt is Germany's primary financial centre. The ECB, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, DZ Bank, KfW and a dense network of international houses employ tens of thousands of people in the banking district alone – alongside major consulting, IT, and airport-logistics employers.

Restructurings, site moves and efficiency programmes are routine here. When you receive a termination or termination agreement in Frankfurt, there is almost always real room to negotiate – provided you respect the deadlines.

Responsible labour court

Employment matters tied to Frankfurt am Main fall under the Arbeitsgericht Frankfurt am Main, Gutleutstraße 132, 60327 Frankfurt. It is one of the busiest labour courts in Germany – with corresponding routine in banking and consulting cases.

Appeals are heard by the Hessisches Landesarbeitsgericht in Frankfurt-Höchst.

3-week deadline: the most important date

A wrongful-dismissal claim must be filed within three weeks of the termination being delivered (§ 4 KSchG). Miss it and the termination becomes legally valid.

Termination agreements have no equivalent statutory deadline, but rescission afterwards is only possible in narrow cases. Have it reviewed before signing.

Frankfurt focus sectors

• Banking & finance: Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, DZ Bank, ING, BNP Paribas, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs – frequent restructurings.
• Consulting & audit: Big Four (PwC, EY, KPMG, Deloitte), McKinsey, BCG, Bain – short deadlines on termination agreements are common.
• IT & tech: SAP, IBM, large in-house IT at the banks.
• Logistics & aviation: Lufthansa, Fraport and suppliers at Frankfurt Airport.
• Pharma & chemicals: Sanofi, the historic Höchst site.

In banking and consulting the actual negotiating room is often larger than the first offer suggests – bonus, long-term-incentive and social-plan components can frequently be lifted.

What severance is realistic in Frankfurt?

Starting rule of thumb: 0.5 gross monthly salaries × years of service. In Frankfurt – particularly in banking and consulting – the amounts actually achieved are usually 1.0 to 1.5 gross monthly salaries per year of service.

For senior positions with variable components (bonus, LTIs) and in social plans from larger restructurings, significantly higher figures are realistic. The key is to evaluate total compensation – not just base salary.

How your case runs

1. Free first call: first assessment usually within 24 hours.
2. Engagement: litigation-funding agreement – no upfront payment.
3. Negotiation: out-of-court via our partner lawyers.
4. Litigation if needed: claim filed at the Arbeitsgericht Frankfurt am Main.
5. Settlement or judgement: usually resolved at the conciliation hearing.

No cost risk

We carry legal, court and (where needed) expert costs. If we succeed we keep an agreed share of the severance. No success, no cost – that is the model.

Mind the deadline: the three weeks start the day the termination is delivered. Have your case reviewed today.