{
  "id": 15733777,
  "title": "Impending Job Loss: Beware of the Trap! How Managers Can Recognize Their Gradual Demotion - and Counteract It",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/drohender-jobverlust-vorsicht-falle-wie-fuhrungskrafte-ihre",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-20T10:48:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/karriere/fuehrungskraefte-woran-man-eine-drohende-kuendigung-fruehzeitig-erkennt/100173417.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Düsseldorf - Managers are suddenly facing important decisions being made without their input, as they are stripped of both personnel and budget. At this point, they should realize that their job is in jeopardy. Christoph Abeln, a Berlin-based labor law attorney specializing in representing executives, explains that these subtle attacks from employers aim to force managers to accept a termination contract and leave the company as quickly as possible. Companies prefer to avoid high severance payments and thus increasingly resort to unpleasant methods to let go of high-level personnel. According to the lawyer, the most dangerous form is invisible, as it involves a concealed demotion that may initially appear like a promotion or reward. In his book \"From Career Pitfall to Comeback,\" Abeln outlines the most common termination tactics used by employers and offers advice on how to defend oneself. Labor lawyer and DFK board member Nils Schmidt confirms the high relevance of this issue, stating that they frequently encounter long-serving first and second-level executives from various industries being subtly pushed out of their companies. They explain how to recognize a gradual dismissal and the recommended course of action for each situation.",
  "summary": "When employers want to get rid of unwanted managers without having to pay high severance packages, they often resort to tricks. The most important warning signs and legal countermeasures.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}