Am I entitled to severance pay at RTL?

There is no automatic statutory entitlement to a specific severance amount. However, RTL has developed a social plan and severance programme together with the works councils. The legal framework here is a change of operations (Betriebsänderung): employer and works council negotiate a reconciliation of interests (Interessenausgleich) and a social plan (§§ 111, 112 BetrVG); if necessary, the social plan is directly enforceable via the conciliation committee (§ 112(4) BetrVG). If you are dismissed, the three-week deadline from receipt of the notice applies for filing an unfair dismissal claim (§ 4 KSchG).

RTL termination agreement or severance programme, should I sign?

Not without having it checked first. A termination agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag) ends your employment by mutual consent and can trigger a benefit suspension period (Sperrzeit) for unemployment benefit (§ 159 SGB III); if employment ends in exchange for severance without observing the notice period, your unemployment benefit can additionally be put on hold (§ 158 SGB III). We check whether the severance amount, release from duties, remaining holiday, bonus and reference letter are properly settled, and whether more is negotiable.

What does this cost you?

The initial consultation costs nothing. If you engage us, we work via litigation funding, with no upfront cost risk. Team Abfindung is a litigation funder, not your lawyer; legal representation is handled by our partner law firm, MK Law.

Severance Pay at RTL Deutschland – Job Cuts 2026

Q: Which areas at RTL are affected?

The largest single block is the news division RTL News, with around 230 positions; the remaining roughly 370 jobs are spread across the group. According to RTL, the news channel ntv and the editorial teams of "Stern", "GEO" and "Capital" were not directly affected by the cuts (source: taz, 08.01.2026).

RTL Deutschland is cutting around 600 jobs group-wide. Of these, about 230 fall on the news division (RTL News), with the remaining roughly 370 spread across the company (sources: nw.de, 07.01.2026; taz, 08.01.2026). The cuts were already announced in early December 2025.

Reviewed by specialized labor lawyers · Updated: September 2026

RTL Deutschland (RTL Deutschland GmbH, Cologne, part of the RTL Group, majority-owned by Bertelsmann) is cutting around 600 jobs group-wide (source: nw.de, 07.01.2026; taz, 08.01.2026).

Of the roughly 600 positions, about 230 fall on the news division (RTL News), the remaining roughly 370 are spread across the company (source: taz, 08.01.2026).

The cuts were already announced in early December 2025. The reasons given are the weak TV advertising market (linear TV ad revenue reportedly down more than 20% since 2019 according to RTL), the shift in media consumption, and the focus on the streaming business RTL+.

A social plan (Sozialplan) and severance programme were developed together with the works councils (Betriebsrat); operational dismissals are meant to be avoided where possible, through partial retirement, severance payments and other offers (source: RTL statements, January 2026).

There is no automatic entitlement to a specific severance amount. The social plan (§§ 111, 112 BetrVG) and your individual offer are what decide this; the rule-of-thumb formula is only a reference value.

We review your termination agreement or severance offer at no upfront cost, paid only on success.

Job cuts at RTL Deutschland: the current situation

As part of a group-wide restructuring, RTL Deutschland is cutting around 600 jobs (nw.de, 07.01.2026; taz, 08.01.2026). The cuts were already announced in early December 2025. Affected is RTL Deutschland GmbH, based in Cologne, part of the RTL Group, which is majority-owned by Bertelsmann.

The company cites profound change in the media market and weak economic conditions as reasons: linear TV advertising revenue in Germany has reportedly fallen by more than 20% since 2019, according to RTL. RTL wants to focus more strongly on the streaming business with RTL+ going forward and make editorial teams more efficient through digitalisation and the use of AI.

The figures at a glance

Around 600 jobs group-wide (as of: September 2026).
Around 230 jobs in the news division, RTL News.
Around 370 jobs spread across the rest of the company.
Announced in early December 2025, implementation from 2026.

Affected areas

The largest single block is the news division RTL News, with around 230 positions; the remaining roughly 370 jobs are spread across the group. According to RTL, the news channel ntv and the editorial teams of "Stern", "GEO" and "Capital" were not directly affected by the cuts (taz, 08.01.2026).

Your rights in a change of operations

Cuts on this scale count as a change of operations under § 111 BetrVG. Employer and works council then negotiate a reconciliation of interests (Interessenausgleich) (covering the whether, when and how) as well as a social plan under § 112 BetrVG. The social plan governs severance payments and is, if necessary via the conciliation committee, directly enforceable (§ 112(4) BetrVG). RTL states it has developed a corresponding severance programme together with the works councils and wants to avoid operational dismissals wherever possible.

This is separate from disadvantage compensation under § 113 BetrVG: it is tied to the reconciliation of interests, not to the social plan. If the employer carries out the change of operations without having adequately attempted a reconciliation of interests with the works council, or departs from it without compelling reason, affected employees can claim disadvantage compensation.

However, there is no general statutory entitlement to a specific severance amount. The commonly used rule-of-thumb formula (0.5 gross monthly salaries per year of employment) is only a reference value, not an entitlement. If you are dismissed, the three-week deadline under § 4 KSchG from receipt of the notice applies for filing an unfair dismissal claim.

Received an offer from the severance programme? Get it checked first

Before you sign, we typically check:

Is the severance amount calculated correctly (gross salary, years of employment, bonus components)?
Are release from duties, remaining holiday, remaining bonus entitlement and reference letter properly settled?
Is there a risk of a benefit suspension period for unemployment benefit (§ 159 SGB III), or a suspension of the entitlement if the notice period is too short alongside severance (§ 158 SGB III)?
How does the one-fifth rule (§ 34 EStG) apply? Since 1 January 2025 it is no longer applied by the employer, only in your tax return (assessment), and it requires a bunching of income.

Upload your document and the critical points will be flagged, at no cost.

How it works with Team Abfindung

Initial consultation, no cost: we review your offer or your dismissal notice.
Engagement: litigation funding with no upfront payment.
Negotiation through our partner law firm, MK Law.
Legal action if necessary at the competent labour court.
Settlement or judgment, severance is usually agreed at the preliminary hearing.

Team Abfindung is a litigation funder and service provider, not a law firm; legal advice and representation are provided by our partner law firm (RDG). Team Abfindung has no business relationship with RTL Deutschland GmbH; the "RTL" brand is used here purely for editorial context.

Frequently asked questions