Complaints Office pursuant to Art. 13 General Act on Equal Treatment

The purpose of the German General Act on Equal Treatment (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz – AGG), which entered into force in 2006, is to prevent or stop discrimination on the grounds of:

• Race or ethnic origin
• Gender
• Religion or belief
• Disability
• Age or
• Sexual orientation

Legislators have explicitly stipulated that employees have the right to lodge complaints.

Who can file a complaint?

A complaint based on the AGG can form the basis for employer measures to eliminate and prevent discrimination under the AGG.

The AGG grants employees rights that entitle them to lodge a complaint if they experience unjustified disadvantage.

For the purposes of the AGG, “employees” include not only workers and civil servants, but also trainees/apprentices, persons in employee-like positions, home-based workers, persons applying for an employment relationship, and persons whose employment relationship has ended.

Students can also seek advice from the HHU AGG Complaint Office regarding unjustified disadvantages.

What is discrimination within the meaning of the AGG?

At the core of the AGG is a prohibition of discrimination that penalizes unjustified disadvantage on the basis of one or more of the above-mentioned criteria.

Discrimination can occur directly (e.g., not being considered in a hiring decision), indirectly (e.g., through criteria for advancement to a higher pay grade), through one’s own actions or by instruction. Harassment such as intimidation, hostility, humiliation, degradation, or insults, as well as sexual harassment, is regarded as unwanted conduct. Remarks of a sexual nature also constitute a form of discrimination. Non-compliance with the conduct rules prescribed by law can lead to substantial compensation claims in proceedings before the labor court. If employees violate the AGG through discriminatory behavior, the employer is legally obliged to examine and, where appropriate, impose employment-law and/or disciplinary consequences.

All HHU employees, in the above sense, are urged to familiarize themselves with the text of the AGG for their daily work. Employees with supervisory responsibilities are urged and obliged to inform their staff about the AGG and its provisions. Informational materials are available from the complaint office.

HHU also offers training courses on the application of the AGG for its members and affiliates.

The work of the AGG Complaint Office

The AGG Complaint Office pursuant to section 13 of the AGG was established to comply with HHU’s legal obligation as an employer and to provide a point of contact for individuals affected by unjustified disadvantages within the meaning of the AGG. The procedure of the AGG Complaint Office consists of two stages:

Das Justitiariat bietet keine Rechtsberatung im Sinne einer externen anwaltlichen Beratung an. Die Ansprechpartner*innen der AGG-Beschwerdestelle sind in die Organisationsstrukturen der HHU eingegliedert und damit beauftragt, der Verpflichtung der HHU als Arbeitergeberin nachzukommen Diskriminierungen im Sinne des AGG entgegenzuwirken sowie gegebenenfalls Maßnahmen anzuleiten, um erfolgte Diskriminierungen zu beseitigen. In der AGG-Beschwerdestelle können lediglich Auskünfte zu dem an der HHU bestehenden AGG-Verfahren erteilt werden. 

WICHTIG: Sollten Sie sich in einer Angelegenheit anwaltlich vertreten lassen wollen, wenden Sie sich vertrauensvoll an eine Rechtsanwaltskanzlei Ihrer Wahl. Die zuständige Anwaltskammer kann Ihnen bei der Suche behilflich sein. 

Bei anderweitigem Beratungsbedarf besteht die Möglichkeit sich über die Beratungsbroschüre der HHU zu den Möglichkeiten informieren.

Spezielle Beratung für Studierende findet sich im Übrigen hier.

Unabhängig von dem hier dargestellten Angebot haben Sie selbstverständlich weiterhin die Möglichkeit, sich an die Zentrale Gleichstellungsbeauftragte oder an die für Sie zuständige Personalvertretung sowie im Falle der Benachteiligung wegen einer Behinderung an die Vertrauensperson der Schwerbehinderten zu wenden.