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2mo ago

Berlin Court Rejects Non-Binary Applicant's Compensation Claim

By dismissing the suit on procedural grounds the court left unanswered whether misgendering or binary-formulated job ads violate Germany's Equal Treatment Act

Ein nicht-binärer Mensch ist mit einer Klage gegen eine Bewerbungsabsage gescheitert. Das Arbeitsgericht Berlin warf der Person Rechtsmissbrauch vor, wie eine Sprecherin in der Hauptstadt mitteilte.
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Geschäftsmann zeigt Slogan Wir suchen Verstärkung unter Hemd

Overview

  • The Berlin Labor Court issued the ruling on May 28 and dismissed the claimant's demand for €17,500 without deciding if discrimination occurred.
  • The plaintiff, who uses the name Nick and has the legal sex entry 'divers', applied in February for a 'Referent/in Vergaberecht und öffentliche Beschaffung' role and asked to be addressed with a gender-neutral salutation.
  • The employer rejected the application and addressed the applicant as 'Herr T.', an action the claimant said amounted to misgendering and discrimination.
  • The court cited signs it viewed as procedural abuse, including the applicant's simultaneous university enrollments, lack of required procurement experience, and an earlier informal €5,000 compensation demand shortly after the rejection.
  • The claimant and advocacy group TIN-Rechtshilfe have announced an appeal and a higher labor court decision could set precedent on whether salutations and binary wording in job adverts trigger damages under the AGG.