1&1 Offers €3,000 Bonus to Workers Who Voluntarily Leave Zweibrücken Site
Published on 08/06/2026 at 17:55 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
The telecom operator is shedding 60 positions at its Zweibrücken location, but management insists the facility itself will remain open. A voluntary exit package, complete with a sweetener for those who decide quickly, is being rolled out to avoid forced layoffs.
Employees who opt into the mutual termination scheme within a short window will pocket an extra €3,000 on top of their standard severance pay. Mayor Marold Wosnitza has confirmed the plan, while stressing that a full closure of the site is not on the table.
The job cuts landed the same day 1&1 published its half-year figures, which paint a mixed picture. The United Internet subsidiary saw its customer base shrink by 140,000 contracts, leaving it with 16.18 million. Mobile telephony bore the brunt of the decline, losing 150,000 contracts, while broadband actually gained 10,000, bringing that segment to 3.85 million.
Revenue, however, is heading in the opposite direction. Sales climbed 1.6 percent to roughly €2.3 billion, with EBITDA up 5.1 percent at €382.7 million. Operating profit surged a striking 61.1 percent to €111.3 million, and the company has left its full-year guidance untouched.
Parent company United Internet also reported growth, with group revenue rising 3.3 percent to €3.091 billion. While sister brand Ionos is projecting around 8 percent revenue growth, 1&1's own market conditions remain tough.
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Adding to the pressure, a court ruling has gone against the provider. Late July, the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz declared a clause in the "Unlimited" tariffs invalid, prohibiting the throttling of data transfer rates. The case, brought by consumer protection group Verbraucherzentrale NRW, is now final and binding.
The Zweibrücken cutbacks fit a wider pattern in German industry. Just days earlier, in early August, sensor manufacturer SICK announced it would eliminate 450 positions in southern Baden.
