Four everyday rules use the same word, unverzüglich, without culpable delay.
An employee who is sick must tell the employer unverzüglich that he cannot work and how long he expects to be away. If the illness lasts more than three calendar days, he must present a doctor’s certificate on the next working day at the latest (§ 5 EntgFG).
A tenant who finds a defect in the apartment must report it to the landlord unverzüglich. A tenant who does not report it must pay for the damage that follows (§ 536c BGB).
An employee who notices an immediate, serious danger to safety and health, or a defect in a protective system, must report it unverzüglich to the employer or the responsible supervisor (§ 16 ArbSchG).
A student who misses an exam because of illness must hand in a withdrawal and a medical certificate unverzüglich. At the University of Duisburg-Essen, a withdrawal within three days of the missed exam, not counting Sundays and holidays, usually still counts as unverzüglich. If the reason is not accepted, the exam is graded nicht ausreichend (5,0), a fail.