Companies based in Germany are progressively emphasizing anti-bias policies and practices
German companies are increasingly establishing in-house complaint offices to address workplace discrimination, providing employees with a formal, accessible channel to report and resolve incidents internally. This shift towards a more proactive approach by German companies is driven by a combination of legal requirements, company-level initiatives, and external support frameworks.
The legal foundation for these in-house complaint mechanisms primarily stems from Germany’s strong anti-discrimination laws such as the General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, AGG), which prohibits discrimination based on race, ethnic origin, religion, gender, disability, age, or sexual orientation in the workplace and beyond. The AGG obliges employers to prevent discrimination and to establish procedures for complaint and resolution, effectively encouraging companies to create dedicated complaint offices or ombudsperson roles.
In addition to AGG, companies must also comply with workplace health and safety regulations that require a discrimination-free and respectful environment, which further supports the need for formal complaint systems. Complaints filed through these offices can lead to internal investigations, mediation, and corrective actions within the company.
Support systems for employees include access to confidential advisors or ombudspersons specialized in anti-discrimination and labor law, employee awareness training on discrimination and reporting procedures, external support providers such as trade unions and legal aid organizations, and the option to escalate unresolved complaints to state anti-discrimination agencies and courts.
The German government and civil society actively encourage these structures as part of broader workplace equality efforts, particularly given societal challenges such as documented discrimination against people with Turkish, Arabic, or non-European names in hiring processes.
While specific implementation varies by company size and sector, the combination of legal requirements under AGG, company-level complaint offices, and external legal and social support frameworks forms the backbone of Germany’s approach to combating workplace discrimination through internal complaint mechanisms.
Ferda Ataman, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Officer in Germany, has observed a growing interest among companies in measures against discrimination. In an interview with the "Rheinische Post" (Monday edition), Ataman emphasized that openly addressing discrimination strengthens trust and makes companies more attractive to employees. Despite many employers either not knowing that they have to set up a complaint office or not knowing how to do it, over 400 people from the employer side participated when the agency first presented an internal handbook with tips on setting up in-house complaint offices.
Ataman also noted that there are headwinds from the USA regarding these measures, but the trend is still positive. Ataman is glad that many German companies are not following the US anti-diversity course due to lack of interest in the associated culture war. This shows a commitment from German companies to prioritize a respectful and inclusive workplace culture.
Starting this week, the agency led by Ataman will train specialists to support companies in setting up such complaint offices, further reinforcing Germany’s commitment to combating workplace discrimination.
[1] Source: https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article206402885/Tuerkische-Arbeitsuchende-sind-in-Deutschland-diskriminiert.html [5] Source: https://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/sozialwissenschaften/diskriminierung-gegen-tuerken-in-deutschland-a-1263453.html
The increasing establishment of in-house complaint offices by German companies can be attributed to both legal requirements under the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) and company-level initiatives to promote diversity-and-inclusion, particularly in the face of documented discrimination against individuals with Turkish, Arabic, or non-European names.
These complaint offices serve as an essential part of business operations in finance and industry, providing employees with a formal, accessible channel to report and resolve incidents of workplace discrimination internally, which aligns with external support frameworks and workplace health and safety regulations.
