"insgesamt zu unserer Zufriedenheit"
Category: Performance Assessment
Meaning
Grade 5 (poor / inadequate). The qualifiers 'on the whole' and 'by and large' relativise the praise and mean: there were recurring deficiencies.
A nearby wording to compare
Compare this with "stets zu unserer vollsten Zufriedenheit", assessed as Swiss grade 1 rather than 4. The change in wording illustrates why modifiers and sentence structure matter.
"stets zu unserer vollsten Zufriedenheit"Switzerland vs. Germany
This phrase is rated grade 4 (unsatisfactory) in Switzerland, and grade 5 (poor) in Germany. In Switzerland, this phrase is rated better than in Germany.
Background: In Switzerland, "good" is the norm qualification (Labour Court Zurich), while in Germany, "satisfactory" (grade 3) is the statistical average (BAG 18.11.2014, 9 AZR 584/13).
Variants
- "im Großen und Ganzen zu unserer Zufriedenheit"
- "im Grossen und Ganzen zu unserer Zufriedenheit"
Sources
- IHK Bonn Merkblatt Arbeitszeugnis
- ifb Betriebsrat
Swiss employment-reference context
Swiss guidance says a full work reference should clearly cover duties, performance, and behavior, and that ambiguous coded messages are not permitted. The decoder explains common interpretations but cannot determine whether a specific reference is legally valid.
Read SECO's official work-reference FAQNote
Variants such as 'a by and large satisfactory completion' are also assigned grade 5 per IHK Bonn.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "insgesamt zu unserer Zufriedenheit" mean in a work reference? +
Grade 5 (poor / inadequate). The qualifiers 'on the whole' and 'by and large' relativise the praise and mean: there were recurring deficiencies.
What grade does "insgesamt zu unserer Zufriedenheit" correspond to in Switzerland? +
In Switzerland, this phrase corresponds to grade 4 (unsatisfactory). In Germany, it corresponds to grade 5 (poor).
What does "im Großen und Ganzen zu unserer Zufriedenheit" mean in a work reference? +
Grade 5 (poor / inadequate). The qualifiers 'on the whole' and 'by and large' relativise the praise and mean: there were recurring deficiencies.
What does "im Grossen und Ganzen zu unserer Zufriedenheit" mean in a work reference? +
Grade 5 (poor / inadequate). The qualifiers 'on the whole' and 'by and large' relativise the praise and mean: there were recurring deficiencies.