Under Section 130 of the Civil Code, a written declaration takes effect when it reaches the person it is addressed to. A letter counts as received once it is in the mailbox at a time when the recipient can be expected to empty it. The Federal Labor Court has applied this to letters of dismissal. A dismissal can be received even while the employee is away on vacation, and even if the employer knows it. An employee who does not open the letter cannot delay its receipt.