We advise companies as employers on all issues relating to the equal treatment of their employees and managers. We also focus on legal issues of anti-discrimination towards customers, for example in the wording of non-discriminatory general terms and conditions and insurance conditions or in connection with Covid 19.
Equal treatment in employment law concerns all phases of an employment relationship: the application phase including job advertisements and interviews, the decision to fill a position, and – in an ongoing employment relationship – the issues of promotion, remuneration, access to further training opportunities and social benefits. It is about the treatment within the different groups, for example: women – men – other gender identities; part-time staff – full-time staff; sick – healthy staff; pregnant women/mothers/fathers – staff without children. Other legal issues include allegations of bullying, sexual harassment, discriminatory communication, and dismissal for an unfair motive.
Companies are repeatedly confronted with individual allegations of discrimination. Sometimes customers also allege that certain clauses in general terms and conditions or insurance conditions are formulated in a discriminatory manner. For this reason, consumer protection associations may file lawsuits.
We represent companies in association proceedings, in proceedings before the Equal Treatment Commission and in civil proceedings for violation of the prohibition of discrimination (actions for injunction, revocation and damages). In cases of criminal offences related to acts of discrimination, we represent companies in criminal proceedings under the statute on responsibility of legal entities (Verbandsverantwortlichkeitsgesetz).