Right-wing extremist attitudes in the workplace

One in three employees in Germany has noticed right-wing extremist attitudes in the workplace, and almost ten percent have been personally affected as victims. These alarming figures were collected in a new study by Gesicht Zeigen! (Show Your Face!), which provides the first insight into the prevalence of right-wing extremism in the German workplace.

In addition to the existence of such attitudes, the behavior of companies often poses a problem: in less than 20% of the reported cases, appropriate measures or sanctions were implemented. Yet these are highly effective: around 75% of respondents who have witnessed such reactions consider the measures taken to be successful and have not observed any repeat incidents of right-wing extremism. However, almost two-thirds of respondents who witness right-wing extremist incidents would like to see more commitment from their employers.

The study also addresses the consequences for the working atmosphere in affected companies and states that a clear majority observe generally negative effects. One-third also fear difficulties in recruiting and retaining skilled workers. In contrast, however, 20% of the employees surveyed believe that the spread of right-wing extremist attitudes has no impact whatsoever on the workplace, the company's reputation, or the success of retaining skilled workers. Among decision-makers, as many as one in three share this opinion. For the managing director of Gesicht Zeigen! (Show Your Face!), Sophia Oppermann, this is a clear sign that the danger posed by right-wing extremism is still being underestimated.

For this reason, she calls on companies to take a clear stance and decisive action against right-wing extremism. Possible measures include anchoring democratic values in the corporate image, establishing annual workshops or training courses on the topic, and appointing a permanent contact person within the company.

We were also interested in the following topics:

• Ecological transformation: Whether regions can compensate for job losses resulting from the transformation depends heavily on the local industry structure—and this varies greatly across Germany depending on the location. A study by the IAB examines where energy-intensive industries are particularly strongly represented and what effects are expected on regional labor markets.

• Home office: Only four percent of companies want to completely abolish home office again, according to an ifo survey. The Handelsblatt shows which options the other 96% have chosen.

• Pension policy: The CDU has already announced some plans that it would implement if it took over government responsibility. Now it is also commenting on pension policy: the retirement age should be raised quickly. Details can be found in the Tagesspiegel.

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