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IMMIGRATION

Migrants held back in German job market

US vice president Joe Biden suggested Germany was “xenophobic” last week. His comments caused a lot of debate among our readers. But was he right? Are immigrants hindered in the job market? JobTalk takes a look.

Published: 16 June 2014 17:59 CEST
Migrants held back in German job market
Photo: DPA

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Recent studies have shown that people with immigration backgrounds are still at a disadvantage in the job market in Germany.

A quick glance at a person's name, sex, age and country of origin can be enough to determine which job applications are weeded out by employers, leading some to apply anonymously.

One German woman whose husband is from Cameroon said: “Thomas applied for many jobs either by telephone or letter, but he never included a photo on his written applications.

"He would get asked to come in to a lot of interviews, but as soon as he walked through the door, he was told the job had already been taken, even though he was highly qualified for the job.”

A pilot project to test the success of anonymous job applications was carried out across Germany from mid 2011 to mid 2012 by the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (ADS).

Eight organizations including Deutsche Telekom, L'Oréal and Deutsche Bahn voluntarily reviewed anonymous job applications.

In the first phase of the process, all job applications were sent out anonymously, and only after the applicants were asked in for an interview did the company receive the person's complete application.

Sebastian Bickerich from the ADS told The Local: “The pilot project showed that in particular women and people with migration backgrounds had a better chance of receiving an interview if their initial application was anonymous.

“The project also proved that the procedure of applying for jobs anonymously is easy to do.”

Since the results of the pilot project were published, more and more German states including Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Berlin are testing this method with small and middle-sized companies.

“The pilot started the ball rolling,” said Bickerich.

He explained that a person's qualifications should be at the top of an application and the deciding factor for an interview invitation. One aim of the project is to phase out photos from CVs.

Excluding qualified persons from employment due to their ethnicity, sex or age is detrimental to the economy, Bickerich’s report stated. “It has been proved that diverse teams achieve better results and increase competitiveness.”

Not just jobs

Discrimination also effects the younger generation applying for apprenticeship places. In a different study by the German Foundations for Integration and Migration (SVR), market researchers sent out two fictitious job applications for an apprentice position.

The study aimed to find out which applicants would get training positions – applicants with a typical German name or those with a Turkish name. The result showed that teenagers with migration backgrounds had to write more applications before they got an interview.

They were more frequently ignored than the applicants with German names, and they were addressed using the informal German form of you – du instead of Sie.

No jobs for the girls

In her thesis titled, “Beyond the veil: Discrimination against female migrants wearing a headscarf in Germany”, Doris Weichselbaumer, a professor at the University of Linz in Austria, found that companies were hesitant to hire migrant women because they were concerned the women would be less proficient in German.

Another reason for unfavourable treatment towards migrant women is that companies feel they may not be accepted by co-workers or customers, and therefore will be less productive, she said.

The results showed that there was also considerable discrimination against women with Turkish names on the German job market and even more so if the women wore a headscarf.

“This unfavourable treatment cannot be explained just by concerns over language skills or professional looks. A dislike to working with migrant women therefore appears a likely reason for their unfavourable treatment,” Weichselbaumer concluded in her study.

But she said job applicants should still keep sending photos with their CVs.

“Of course job applicants do not have to include a photo in their applications, however, photos are customary and applications without photos are usually less successful than those with,” she told The Local.

SEE ALSO: Failed job applicant sues for anti-fat bias

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Four steps to take straight away after losing your job in Germany

Losing a job can be a nightmare situation for foreigners in Germany - but following these simple steps will get you back on your feet in no time.

Published: 10 September 2024 16:34 CEST
Updated: 15 September 2024 08:14 CEST
Four steps to take straight away after losing your job in Germany

In times of economic downturn, layoffs are far from unusual – but that doesn’t make it any more difficult for the people who find themselves suddenly left without work.

For foreigners in Germany, the situation is even more frightening. You may wonder whether your residence status is in jeopardy, how hard it will be to find another position, and whether you can support yourself while you look for another job.

Though it may be hard to think clearly at a time like this, following these four simple steps will set you in good stead to move forward – and hopefully, it won’t be long before another dream opportunity comes your way. 

1. Negotiate your terms 

Before signing or agreeing to anything, it’s crucial that you’re familiar with your rights and understand how much notice your employer has to give you and what kind of settlement you may be owed.

Generally, the rule of thumb is that you get half a month of severance for every year you worked at the company. That said, higher settlements can be negotiated in return for signing a termination agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag), so you may want to seek legal advice before settling. 

Even during a probationary period, your employer will also have to give you a certain amount of notice before your last working day. During the interim, you can either work for the company or be put on what is known as gardening leave in English, where you stay home but are paid as if you were working.

This can all be negotiated as part of a termination agreement, so you should think carefully about what works best for you and consider speaking to your labour council (Betriebsrat) or a legal specialist before making any firm decisions. You should also be aware that you have no obligation to sign any agreement and can legally dispute the layoff if you want to. 

READ ALSO: Can I get unemployment benefits in Germany if I quit my job?

2. Get all the necessary documents from your employer

Once the terms of the layoff are final, ensure that your employer gives you all the necessary documents you need to navigate the next phase of German bureaucracy.

The main two to think about first are the confirmation of work (Arbeitsbescheinung) and the confirmation of your holiday entitlement (Urlaubsbescheinigung).

The first can be sent to the Agentur für Arbeit (jobcentre) as proof of your last job and recent layoff, while the second will help your next employer calculate your vacation days for the rest of the year.

An Arbeitszeugnis, or German letter of reference

An Arbeitszeugnis, or German letter of reference. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-tmn | Zacharie Scheurer

On top of these documents, you’ll want to ask your employer for a letter of reference (Arbeitszeugnis), which is useful for finding a new job in Germany.

You should also keep hold of your last payslip and statement of earnings (Lohnsteuerabrechnung), which are helpful for tax purposes and may also be requested by the Agentur für Arbeit.

Speaking of which… 

3. Register as unemployed with the Agentur für Arbeit

As soon as you know that you are soon to be unemployed, you should register as a jobseeker with the Agentur für Arbeit. To get full unemployment benefits, you usually have to do this within three days of receiving your termination notice or at least three months before leaving.

Depending on what type of residence permit you’re on, you may or may not be entitled to long-term unemployment benefits (ALG II), but most employees are able to get unemployment insurance (ALG I), which covers a proportion of your former salary while you look for a new role.

It’s important to be a little bit careful here, as claiming long-term unemployment benefits (ALG II) can affect any future citizenship applications. Any severance pay you agree to can also result in you losing some months of unemployment benefits, so these are all factors you will have to consider while deciding on the best way forward. 

READ ALSO: What happens to your work permit if you lose your job in Germany?

4. Inform the immigration office 

If you’re on a residence permit that is linked to your job in some way, like a Blue Card or work visa, you’ll need to inform the immigration office about your change in circumstances as soon as possible.

This should be done in writing, and in German, within two weeks of receiving your termination notice.

You should include all relevant personal information, such as date of birth, residence permit type, and nationality, as well as the date of your final day at work. As proof of the layoff, you should also enclose a copy of your termination agreement or a letter from your employer. 

People enter the immigration office

For foreigners who move to Germany and settle in Berlin, a visit to the Berliner Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) is ultimately unavoidable. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Britta Pedersen

In most cases, the immigration office will give you between 3 and 12 months to look for a new job. If they give you a shorter period, be aware that you may be able to negotiate an extension later on if you are struggling to find work through no fault of your own.

Above all, stay positive. Though it may feel like one door has closed, another one is sure to open. This being Germany, you may just have to wade through a sea of paperwork to get there.

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