Severance at ZF Friedrichshafen – what matters now

Job cuts at ZF: what is happening right now?

The automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen is in a serious crisis: high debt, a billion-euro loss and the transformation from classic transmissions to the electric and software business. The board has announced it will cut up to 14,000 jobs in Germany by the end of 2028 – around one in four jobs in Germany (Handelsblatt; SWR; IG Metall).

Around 5,700 jobs have already gone since early 2024, with roughly 2,200 more to follow over the next two years. The reduction runs mainly via voluntary programmes, partial retirement and termination agreements – increasing the pressure on each individual decision.

Affected sites

• Saarbrücken: transmission plant, the group’s largest site (around 10,000 employees) – at least 1,800 jobs by the end of 2025, up to 4,500 by the end of 2028.
• Friedrichshafen: group headquarters and development.
• Schweinfurt and other sites: driveline and e-mobility business.

ZF employs more than 50,000 people in Germany. The restructuring therefore hits entire regions – from Saarland to Lake Constance.

IG Metall and the October 2025 wage package

ZF has strong co-determination. In October 2025, IG Metall, the works council and management agreed a cost-cutting package: the 3.1% pay rise is postponed from April to October 2026, collectively-agreed additional payments are converted into days off over three years, and further special payments are temporarily suspended. In return, guardrails for a socially responsible reduction were set.

For you this means: there is a negotiated framework – but whether your individual offer fully exhausts it is another question.

What makes up the severance at ZF

The concrete amount depends on the respective social plan or voluntary programme. In the metal and electrical industry, factors are often in this range:

• Base factor: 0.8 to 1.5 gross monthly salaries × years of service (industry experience).
• Base and hardship amounts (age, severe disability, family responsibilities).
• Transfer company as an option, often with a qualification component.

These figures are guidance, not a guarantee. The calculation becomes reliable with your concrete offer – and with the question of whether more is achievable in your individual case.

Reviewing a voluntary offer: what counts

A voluntary offer is never a simple yes/no question. In every case we assess:

• Gross amount and tax effect (one-fifth rule).
• Blocking-period risk for unemployment benefit – up to 12 weeks for termination agreements without good cause.
• Waiver and settlement clauses – with which you lose all further claims on signing.
• Remaining entitlements: holiday, bonus, variable pay, company pension.
• Timing within the programme and your onward prospects.

If you are dismissed after all

If operational dismissals occur beyond the voluntary programmes, the 3-week deadline under § 4 KSchG applies. At a collectively-bound large employer with a strong works council, the chances of success of an unfair-dismissal claim are usually good – proceedings often end with a severance in a court settlement.

How it works with Team Abfindung

1. Free initial consultation: we review your specific offer or dismissal.
2. Engagement: litigation financing with no upfront payment.
3. Negotiation with ZF HR via our cooperating lawyers.
4. Claim if necessary at the competent labour court.
5. Settlement or judgment – usually a severance at the conciliation hearing.

If successful, we keep a transparently agreed share of the severance. If unsuccessful, you pay nothing.