The young woman had sued a labor court against her dismissal.
(Photo: imago images / Hans-Günther Oed)
Frankfurt A “#MeToo scandal” led to the separation from a high-ranking manager at Deutsche Bank. According to information from an insider, an executive at the largest German bank had to go after allegations by a young employee. According to the information, another manager is also threatened with consequences. The former employee’s allegations were so serious that the Management Board and the Supervisory Board also dealt with them. The “Süddeutsche Zeitung” first reported on the scandal.
The allegations of sexual harassment came to light after the young woman had sued a labor court against her dismissal by Deutsche Bank. The money house then initiated an internal investigation and turned on the Frankfurt public prosecutor’s office, which was investigating both managers. According to insiders, the case against the senior manager who left the bank has now been dropped.
The less high-ranking manager is said to have recommended the young university graduate in the group for a trainee program, although he had a relationship with her. According to financial circles, the bank had temporarily suspended the employee. He is now working for the institute again, but the internal investigation into his behavior has not yet been finalized, it is said.
The other, much higher-ranking manager, is said to have contacted the woman later via the career network LinkedIn and exchanged intimate messages and pictures with her. According to an insider, the internal investigation revealed that this manager had advocated preferential treatment for the trainee. Therefore, despite the termination of the public prosecutor’s investigation, the bank separated from him.
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The debate about sexual harassment at work, known under the motto #MeToo, has long since reached Germany. However, the relevant rules are much less strict here than in the USA, where hundreds of managers have already lost their jobs due to harassment.
Significantly different rules than in the USA
In contrast to the USA, there is no general obligation to report private relationships in companies in Germany. “Because in Germany the right of personality draws a boundary under labor law,” says an earlier statement by the bank on the subject of sexual harassment, which is not directly related to the current case.
For Deutsche Bank, with its strong presence in the United States, this means significantly different rules: “In the USA, employees are obliged to disclose private relationships in order to rule out potential conflicts of interest in the work environment – this may also apply to Germany in individual cases. if there is a risk of a conflict of interest. “
The bank emphasizes that “every complaint is generally followed up internally”. A global whistleblower hotline has been set up for this, and the complaints and advice center in Germany [email protected] created. For years, “the number of reported cases has been at a very low level”.
In a message from the bank on the current case, it says: “Where it was indicated, we have drawn the appropriate conclusions – and will continue to do so in the future.” dismissed the related lawsuit under the General Equal Treatment Act ”.
More: Stricter rules for relationships in the office