u/Adventurous_Chef_339

Hey everyone,

I’m a Senior Product Designer currently based in Berlin. I was recently laid off and am now available to start immediately.

I have 5+ years of experience working on B2B2C SaaS products, with a strong focus on UX research, product thinking, and end-to-end design delivery.

Open to full-time, part-time, or freelance opportunities.

Happy to chat if anyone’s hiring or knows of relevant roles.

Thanks

Hey everyone,

I’m a Senior Product Designer currently based in Berlin. I was recently laid off and am now available to start immediately.

I have 5+ years of experience working on B2B2C SaaS products, with a strong focus on UX research, product thinking, and end-to-end design delivery.

Open to full-time, part-time, or freelance opportunities.

Happy to chat if anyone’s hiring or knows of relevant roles.

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I’m working in Germany on an unlimited contract and I was still in my probation period (around 5 months of employment).

I recently took 1 month of parental leave (Elternzeit). I returned to work literally yesterday, and on the same morning HR called me and told me I didn’t pass probation and that I’m being dismissed without any reason of performance etc.

Today I will receive the written termination letter.

They also informed me that I will be on garden leave (Freistellung) and will receive my salary until July 31 without working.

A few extra details:

• No reason was given in writing (only verbally “did not pass probation”)
• The timing is immediately after returning from parental leave
• I am on an unlimited contract

My questions:

1. Is it legal in Germany to terminate someone right after parental leave in probation?
2. Is there any realistic chance of severance (Abfindung) in this situation?
3. Should I consider speaking to a lawyer immediately or is this standard and not worth challenging?

I want to understand if this is just a normal probation termination or if the timing after parental leave changes things legally.

Any insights from people familiar with German labor law would be really appreciated.

Hey everyone 👋

A few years ago, I started my career designing digital products because I was fascinated by one simple challenge: why do some products feel effortless while others make users struggle?

That curiosity led me into fintech, where I spent the last 5+ years working on payment systems, wallets, financial platforms, and complex transaction flows. I found myself enjoying the challenge of taking complicated financial processes and turning them into experiences that people can understand and trust.

Today, I'm based in Berlin and my work has evolved beyond design. In my current role, I spend a lot of time exploring how AI can improve the way teams work automating repetitive workflows, speeding up research, improving documentation, and helping product teams move faster without sacrificing quality.

If you're building a fintech startup (or any product where user experience and operational efficiency matter), I'd be happy to connect. I offer paid consulting and freelance support in product design, UX strategy, user research, and AI-powered workflow automation.

Even if you're not looking for help right now, I'm always interested in meeting people who are building interesting things in Berlin and across Germany.

Hey everyone 👋

A few years ago, I started my career designing digital products because I was fascinated by one simple challenge: why do some products feel effortless while others make users struggle?

That curiosity led me into fintech, where I spent the last 5+ years working on payment systems, wallets, financial platforms, and complex transaction flows. I found myself enjoying the challenge of taking complicated financial processes and turning them into experiences that people can understand and trust.

Today, I'm based in Berlin and my work has evolved beyond design. In my current role, I spend a lot of time exploring how AI can improve the way teams work automating repetitive workflows, speeding up research, improving documentation, and helping product teams move faster without sacrificing quality.

If you're building a fintech startup (or any product where user experience and operational efficiency matter), I'd be happy to connect. I offer paid consulting and freelance support in product design, UX strategy, user research, and AI-powered workflow automation.

Even if you're not looking for help right now, I'm always interested in meeting people who are building interesting things in Berlin and across Germany.

I recently received my HQP visa, and my employer has applied for my social security registration. However, I'm a bit curious because I had already been working from Germany through an Employer of Record (EOR) for the past four months. I’m currently on one month of parental leave, and I have a 1:1 meeting with HR scheduled when I return to work. I recently received the HR meeting invite, and I’m feeling a bit nervous, wondering if it could be a termination discussion.

Hey everyone,

I’m returning to work in ~15 days after 1 month parental leave, and HR just scheduled a 1:1 with me.

I’m a bit anxious it could be related to termination or performance, but I’ve had no negative feedback from my manager in any 1:1s before leave, and no prior warnings. I’m also still in probation.

Has anyone experienced HR scheduling a meeting like this right after parental leave? Is this usually just a return-to-work/admin check, or something I should be concerned about?

Thanks.

Hey everyone 👋

A few years ago, I started my career designing digital products because I was fascinated by one simple challenge: why do some products feel effortless while others make users struggle?

That curiosity led me into fintech, where I spent the last 5+ years working on payment systems, wallets, financial platforms, and complex transaction flows. I found myself enjoying the challenge of taking complicated financial processes and turning them into experiences that people can understand and trust.

Today, I'm based in Berlin and my work has evolved beyond design. In my current role, I spend a lot of time exploring how AI can improve the way teams work automating repetitive workflows, speeding up research, improving documentation, and helping product teams move faster without sacrificing quality.

I've met many talented founders in Germany who have great ideas but often need support in shaping their products, validating assumptions, or creating efficient workflows as they grow. That's why I wanted to introduce myself here.

If you're building a fintech startup (or any product where user experience and operational efficiency matter), I'd be happy to connect. I offer paid consulting and freelance support in product design, UX strategy, user research, and AI-powered workflow automation.

Even if you're not looking for help right now, I'm always interested in meeting people who are building interesting things in Berlin and across Germany.

Hi everyone,

I’m confused about Elterngeld/ElterngeldPlus and would appreciate some advice.

I work full-time in Germany and earn around €3700 net/month. My wife was doing a working student internship before pregnancy but stopped working around 5 months ago after it ended. Since this is our first baby, she stayed home during pregnancy.

I took 1 month Elternzeit (16 May–15 June) and my latest salary slip only shows 15 days salary, probably because of Elternzeit.

My questions:

• Can both parents receive Elterngeld separately?
• Should I apply for Basiselterngeld or ElterngeldPlus for my 1 month leave?
• Can my wife receive Elterngeld for longer since she currently has no income?
• How are the months/payment divided between parents?

I return to full-time work on 16 June.