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I was sent a contract in German by a German company for a job in Germany by email. I live in the UK and only speak English. The job requirement says that German is not required. I would move to Germany upon accepting the job.

I asked the HR Manager to send an English contract so I could read it obviously. He replied that they do not have an English version of the contract and instead listed the important points in the email.

How do I handle this?
What happens if there is some small print in the contract that he didn't list in the email that I sign.

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    You are responsibility to make sure you understand a document before you sign it. IANAL so there might be ways to get out of stuff, but still better to understand what you sign beforehand then to go to court later. I suggest getting a lawyer who speak both German and English (and the German laws). Can not answer on the poor practice part so not a full answer.
    – Jeroen
    Commented Aug 18, 2017 at 13:28
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    What happens if there is some small print in the contract that he didn't list in the email that I sign Assume this to be the case.
    – rath
    Commented Aug 18, 2017 at 14:35
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    Setting aside all the legal red flags, there's also the question of "if they can't provide the job contract in English, what else won't they be able to provide translations for?" Training sessions? Client requests that have been submitted to the company in German? Directions to their office? Even you were willing to sign based on bullet points, which is obviously a terrible idea, it strikes me very possible - even likely - that you'll have trouble even completing the onboarding process once you get there. I'm thinking that "not" in "German is not required" may have been added by mistake.
    – Steve-O
    Commented Aug 18, 2017 at 18:58
  • @Steve-O All of these are way easier to translate than a contract. Also consider that even if the contract is translated it might still reference German laws.
    – user29390
    Commented Aug 18, 2017 at 19:09
  • @Steve-O I wasn't willing to sign on the bullet points. That's why I asked more experienced people first. I think you are over reacting personally. They are translating the document to English now. The job offer it self is amazing and if I was to turn down every job offer because of something like this I would get nowhere. Mistakes happen
    – Martin Dawson
    Commented Aug 18, 2017 at 19:13

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This is a terrible idea for you and poor practice by the company. Never sign a contract you cannot read or fully understand. If the HR department cannot provide the contract in English ( at least an interpretation to attach to the contract as an addendum ) then I would simply say "I cannot read this, therefore I cannot sign it".

You may want to try and get the contract translated yourself by a third party. Even if you do this, you will need someone who understands German law to assist you with the translation / understanding process.

In short, do not sign a contract you cannot read and that you do not fully understand. Especially if you are going to be re-locating to that country and be subject to the laws of that country.

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    IMHO you need a full translation. @MartinDawson they may have perfectly fine intentions, but you need to understand fully what you are signing. Maybe you can get it translated here in the states?
    – Neo
    Commented Aug 18, 2017 at 13:36
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    Definitely do not rely on bullet points - would you rely on bullet points if the contract was in English? (case in point - Microsoft bullet points don't always match the actual licence). If the company isn't going to prepare an English contract for a position that does not require German, just walk away and get a better offer elsewhere. You are going to need not just a translator - but one who understands German law.
    – HorusKol
    Commented Aug 18, 2017 at 13:46
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    Don't rely on a computer service. Don't even rely on your friend who speaks German. This is a legal document, you need a professional. Either a professional German<->English translator, or a German lawyer.
    – Erik
    Commented Aug 18, 2017 at 13:53
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    Plus - if the company didn't think about the fact that they will have to create your contract, what about all the other documents that you will need? Company handbook, compliance guidelines, information on customers, internal documentation... all that will have to be translated for you. Maybe you should ask them how they are going to handle that, before accepting the position. Or just learn German :-).
    – sleske
    Commented Aug 18, 2017 at 14:08
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    In addition not only do you have to get a translation of the contract, you have to get a translation that the company will stand by. A translation by some random German speaking person is not going to cut it if there is a contract dispute.
    – Peter M
    Commented Aug 18, 2017 at 14:25

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