Diversity and Anti-discrimination

We at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute (AWI) take a holistic approach to embedding diversity and equal opportunities within the organisation’s culture. We are committed to continuously advancing our principles.

We believe that diversity is not only a value in itself, but also essential for conducting innovative, cutting-edge research. The success of a research institute largely depends on its staff. We aim to provide all employees with the best possible environment in which they can grow and thrive during their time at our institute. Only in this way can we unlock the full potential of our team and achieve groundbreaking results.

We offer a variety of support options and measures to meet the needs of different people:

Gender equality

Zwei weiblich gelesene Personen im Setting Labor und Werkstatt (Illustration)

Target agreements and measures to promote equal opportunities: AWI pursues specific targets and quotas to promote gender equality, especially in management and research positions.
Women's representative and equal opportunities officers: They are important contact persons for all issues relating to gender equality and the promotion of women and non-binary persons at the institute.

Compatibility of work and personal situation

Bild (Illustration) aus dem Familienbüro, zwei Väter mit Kindern

Family Office: AWI supports employees with children or relatives in need of care, e.g. by offering flexible working hours and opportunities for mobile working.
Childcare Options: The institute supports childcare in various ways and offers advice on how to reconcile work and family life.

Pregnancy and parental leave

Support during pregnancy: AWI enables flexible working hours and ensures the health and safety of pregnant employees.
Parental leave and returning to work: The institute offers support during the transition to parental leave and when returning to work after parental leave, including flexible working models.

International employees

Eine Gruppe an unterschiedlichsten Personen sprechen am Tisch. An der Wand hängt ein Schild auf dem steht "International Office"

International Office: AWI supports employees from abroad, including assistance with visa and residence permits (also for family members), registration in Germany (e.g., with the residents' registration office or social security), and help with finding accommodation or addressing other administrative and intercultural challenges.
German language courses: The International Office offers AWI-internal German courses for employees and their partners.
Networking and social integration: Events and networks promote cultural exchange and the social integration of international colleagues.

Inclusion of people with disabilities

Drei Personen sind zu erkennen. Eine Person ist im Rollstuhl, eine Person spricht in Gebärdensprache.

Representatives for severely disabled employees: These representatives are elected by employees every four years and support employees with disabilities in creating a barrier-free working environment.
Adaptation of the workplace: AWI offers customized solutions for workplace design to facilitate the integration of people with disabilities.

Neurodiversity in the workplace

Vier Personen unterschiedlichsten Alters sind zu erkennen. Zwei haben Stimming toys in der Hand, wei haben noice-cancelling Kopfhörer auf. Eine Person trägt ein Pberteil mit einem Raumschiff aufgedruckt.

Workplace design: AWI is committed to providing neurodivergent people with a working environment in which they can develop their full potential, for example by using noise-canceling headphones or other aids.
Sensitization: AWI raises awareness and provides information on different forms of communication and working methods, both as part of the application process and during onboarding and everyday working life.

Diversity in recruitment

AWI pursues an inclusive selection process that focuses on knowledge, expertise, and skills, regardless of gender, socio-cultural background, nationality, race, religion, ideology, disability, age, sexual identity, or sensory needs. As part of the project “OpenAWI”, AWI is actively committed to diversity-sensitive recruitment.

The graphics are AI-generated.

In addition, AWI offers:

Flexible working hours and working models, including up to 50% mobile working
Psychosocial counseling
Conflict management
Mediation
Company doctor
In-house rehabilitation management

Contact

HR Department
Katharina Friederich

Women's representative and equal opportunities officers
Gleichstellung_EqualOpportunities@awi.de
Dr. Gerit Birnbaum, Pia Schliefke, Kelly Gomez Campo

Representative body for severely disabled employees
Anette Tillmann

International Office
Andrea Bleyer

Family Office
Winfried Hebold-Heitz, Ines Fölscher

Staff council
personalrat@awi.de

Inclusion officer
Alexandra Krämer

Project “OpenAWI”
Leo Amende

Links and documents

Gender Equality Plan (legally non-binding translation; version in German here)

Gender Equality Plan - Statistics

Would you like to know more about the specific programmes at AWI?

The complaint office under the General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz - AGG)

Both employees and applicants, who believe that their rights under the General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz - AGG) have been violated, can contact the AWI Complaints Office at any time.

1. What is the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG)?

The General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) is the German anti-discrimination law. The law applies in the working environment, in everyday business and when looking for accommodation. The scope of application of the AGG includes all phases of the employment relationship, from the job description to recruitment, promotion and termination, and applies to all employees.

2. What are the grounds of discrimination?

A total of 6 grounds of discrimination are enshrined in the law:

Gender
Disability or chronic illness
age
Racist or anti-semitic grounds (ethnic origin)
Religion and ideology
sexual identity

3. What is a complaints office under the AGG?

Please note: An AGG complaints office is not a collegial advisory service for those affected, such as the staff council, the women's and equal opportunities officer or other contact points. A complaint triggers an obligation for the employer to act in the event of existing discrimination or the suspicion of existing discrimination - irrespective of whether the persons concerned wish to have it investigated.

Section 13 AGG stipulates that every employer must set up a competent body within the company to receive complaints from employees who feel disadvantaged or harassed by their employer, superiors, other employees or third parties.

4. On what grounds can a complaint be lodged?

The decisive factor is that the person concerned has the subjective feeling that they have been discriminated against or harassed on the basis of one of the characteristics mentioned in Section 1 AGG (gender, disability/chronic illness, age, racist and anti-semitic grounds, religion/ideology and sexual identity) and that this event is also related to the employment relationship.

Specifically, the AGG distinguishes between the following forms of discrimination or harassment:

Direct discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favorably on the basis of a ground of discrimination than a person in a comparable situation is, has been or would be treated.
Indirect discrimination occurs where an apparently neutral provision, criterion or practice may put a person at a particular disadvantage because of a ground of discrimination referred to in point 2, unless that provision, criterion or practice is objectively justified by a legitimate aim and the means of achieving that aim are appropriate and necessary (positive action).
Harassment is discrimination where unwanted conduct related to a ground of discrimination referred to in point 2 has the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person and of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
Examples of harassment:
- derogatory and demeaning comments about origin, skin color, speech impediments, physical attitudes, disabilities or religion and the wearing of religious symbols
- Jokes and teasing, etc.
- derogatory looks and gestures in connection with discrimination characteristics
- Exclusion or harassment of work colleagues in connection with discrimination characteristics, e.g. through deliberate information gaps, spatial isolation, ignoring or assigning offensive, humiliating tasks
- Racist or anti-semitic behavior
- Physical violence in connection with discrimination characteristics
According to Section 3 (4) AGG, sexual harassment is unwanted conduct that is sexualized and gender-related. This ranges from unwanted looks and sexual innuendo to physical touching. Sexual harassment is characterized by violation of dignity and undesirability. All sexual harassment is prohibited in the workplace, regardless of whether the person causing the harassment intended it - it's the effect on the harassed person that matters. Unwantedness also exists if a person is or was under pressure to endure or reciprocate a sexual act. Sexual harassment can be divided into three categories: verbal, non-verbal and physical harassment.

Examples of sexual harassment:

verbal: sexually suggestive comments and jokes
verbal: intrusive and offensive comments about clothing, appearance or private life
non-verbal: intrusive or suggestive looks, unwanted messages with a sexual connotation, posting pornographic material
physical: unwanted touching (patting, stroking, pinching, hugging, kissing), even if the touching appears to be accidental
physical: repeated physical advances, e.g. pushing and shoving
physical: physical violence and any form of sexualized assault up to and including rape

5. Who can turn to a complaints office?

Complaints include both the personal, daily interaction between colleagues, as well as the behavior of superiors and the employer in general.
Not only affected employees can turn to a complaints office, but also trainees, freelancers, as well as people who are applying for a job or whose employment relationship has already ended.

6. How does a complaints procedure work?

Please note: During the complaints procedure, an external law firm assists with the hearing of the persons involved and the legal assessment of the facts of the case.

0. possibility of a confidential consultation with the AGG complaints office
1. submission of a written complaint
2. preliminary examination (Is there a reason for complaint under the AGG? If not: feedback to the person making the complaint and, after consultation, forwarding to a competent contact point if necessary)
3. implementation of the complaints procedure (external support from a law firm)
a. Hearing of the parties to the conflict, examination of immediate measures
b. Clarification of the facts incl. hearing of witnesses
c. Evaluation of the results
d. Recommendation of measures to the Executive Board
e. Communication of the results of the investigation to the parties to the conflict by the AGG Complaints Office
f. Communication of any measures imposed by the AGG Complaints Office
4. review of the effectiveness of the measures, if applicable.