Sozialpartnerschaft. Social partnership. The standard German term for the relationship between employers and unions, used by both sides and by the government. Partners, not opponents. The word frames a negotiation that is genuinely adversarial as a joint undertaking, and the framing is taken seriously enough to shape the procedure.
The proportional inspection
German case law requires more intensive inspection the greater the potential damage. For large deliveries a sample suffices. Where there is any suspicion of a defect, further examination is required.
The standard is what could reasonably be expected of a proper merchant in that particular case — which means the buyer is expected to think about what is at stake before deciding how carefully to look.
Ergonomics
German workplace regulation specifies ergonomic requirements for seating, screens, lighting and reach, enforced through occupational safety law and inspected. The body is treated as a design constraint with numbers attached.
Care before and care after
Vor, before. Nach, after. Sorge, care.
German has a clean word for each — care taken beforehand, and care taken afterwards — and uses both in ordinary speech. Medicine, law and business all distinguish them.
English has prevention and aftercare, but they do not sit as a pair. The German words do, and the pairing makes the choice visible every time either is used.
The Mediation Act
Germany passed a dedicated Mediation Act in 2012, defining the process, the mediator’s confidentiality and independence, and providing for judges to refer cases to it. Mediation is defined by the parties reaching their own solution. The mediator has no power to decide.
The savings rate
Sparquote. German household saving rates run consistently high by international comparison and rose further during periods of uncertainty rather than falling. The reserve grows when it looks most likely to be needed.
The social plan
Der Sozialplan. Where a German employer restructures in a way that disadvantages employees, the works council can require a negotiated agreement compensating those affected. If the two sides cannot agree, a conciliation board decides and its decision binds. The employer cannot simply proceed.
The quality management system
German firms across manufacturing and services hold ISO 9001 certification, audited externally at intervals, covering documented processes for every activity that affects quality. Certification is frequently a condition of being a supplier at all.
Agreed is agreed
Abgemacht ist abgemacht.
Ein Mann, ein Wort — a man, a word.
Darauf kannst du dich verlassen — you can rely on that.
Sein Wort halten — to keep one’s word, and sein Wort brechen, to break it, which is spoken of as damage done to the word itself.
The German expressions treat the agreement as a thing that exists after the conversation ends, independent of either party’s continued attention.
Balance of interests
Interessenausgleich. Balance of interests. A term from German labour law, where an employer planning a major change must negotiate one with the works council before proceeding. The statute names the objective. Not an agreement, not a settlement — a balance.