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Women in the German workplace
- chapter excerpt -
Stroll through the cafeteria of any large German
company at lunch time and you might be amazed by
the sheer number of men you will see in suits and
ties. Ironically, in a country that helped define
the feminist movement and is currently being led
by its first female chancellor, you will run into
surprisingly few professional women in Germany’s
companies. Worse yet, open any annual report and
glance through the pictures of the Board – finding
a woman among them is like finding a four-leaf
clover! The absence of women in management positions,
especially at higher managerial levels, is not
only extreme in Germany, it is a curious phenomenon.
While around 60 percent of women between the ages
of 15 to 65 work outside of the home, only about
30 percent of these work in professional positions
and only two-thirds work full time. So what is
it that is keeping women, who now make up the majority
of university students in Germany, from joining
the professional workforce and climbing up corporate
ladders alongside their male colleagues? Opinions
on the matter are varied, and range from workplace
discrimination to a lack of professional ambition
on the part of females. However, Germany has a
mix of cultural traditions and social legislation
that undeniably encourages women to choose ac-ceptable
alternatives to a professional career. So, if you
suddenly find yourself in a conference room full
of men without any other women in sight, keep a
few things in mind:
- Culture and Tradition
Years ago, the German woman’s duties were
defined by the 3 K’s: “Kinder, Küche,
und Kirche” (Children, Kitchen, and Church).
Today, the first two, while no longer considered “duties”,
still continue to play an important role in the
lives of many German women. While it is common
for women in many countries to work full time
while raising a family, many Germans still hold
the conservative belief that a woman should not
try to manage both, and in contrast to many other
industrialized nations, German women are not
expected to. Strangely enough, even young German
women are still greatly influenced by this belief.
If they do choose to start a family, they often
leave the workplace to stay at home for several
years. Such a long break does, of course, have
obvious consequences for anyone’s career
path. If a woman does indeed decide to pursue
a professional full-time job and raise children,
and she is not subject to extraneous circumstances
(a disabled spouse, single parenthood, etc.),
she may very well be met with criticism by her
family, friends, and colleagues.
- Social Legislation for Changing Demographics
Implemented in an effort to support individuals
who choose to have children in the face of
a drastically shrinking German population,
German social law also has the unfortunate
side-effect of preventing many women from pursuing
professional careers. In fact, the government’s
financial support for new parents is so enticing
that it often dissuades women from returning
to work following the birth of their first
child. Here are a few of the government’s
perks for parents:
- Elterngeld (Parents’ Funds) – these
are tax-financed funds that are offered to
parents in the year directly following their
child’s birth. Currently, if an employed
mother or father decides not to 183 return
to work after a child’s birth, the German
government compensates one parent for two-thirds
of his or her salary up to a certain amount
(currently set at € 25,200).
- Kindergeld (Children’s funds) – In addition
to “Elterngeld”, parents receive
at least € 150 per month per child depending
on the child’s age and the number of
children in a family. These funds are offered
to all households with children regardless
of employment status until the child turns
18 years of age.
- Job Protection – Mothers
who choose to stay at home after the birth
of a child often decide to return to the workplace
at some point. This process is made easier
by a German law that ensures mothers the right
to a position with their employer for up to
three years after a pregnancy. This period
of time is known as “EIternzeit” (parent’s
time). However, many women choose to have
several children and end up returning to
the workforce after more than just three
years. Often, this long gap in their work
experience prevents them from seriously
pursuing careers in management or other
professional areas. In fact, many women
choose to return to the workforce as part-time
workers so that they can continue to keep
at least one eye on their family.
- A big gap but a high standard
of living – Such “Elternzeit” breaks
and part-time work contribute to the fact that
women earn 22 percent less on average than male
colleagues with equivalent jobs. While this circumstance
is also the result of a mix of many other things
including too few day care centers for children
and limited promotional opportunities for women,
it worries Germany, who suffers from the third
biggest gender salary gap in the European Union.
It should be noted, however, that Germany’s
men’s salaries are some of the highest
in the Europe. They not only widen the wage gap,
but are another factor supporting the decision
of many married women to stay at home after having
children or to not pursue employment at all.
Tips for climbing the corporate ladder despite
it all…
Though all of this may seem intimidating...
You will find the entire article in our book.
Click here to order
the book directly.
Internet addresses that could be of interest to
women: (mostly in German)
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directly.
Enjoy reading!
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Keywords: small
talk,
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protocol , german business practices versus
american , german business practices , german
business etiquette and manners , german business
culture characteristics , german business culture
, german business correspondence etiquette ,
business etiquette in Germany , business communication
germany etiquette
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