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News & Updates, External publication | 2022 Significant differences dealing with diversity in companies

Sixteen years after the introduction of the General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz - AGG), there are still significant differences in the way companies and public administrations deal with diversity and in strategies against discrimination in the workplace.

This is the central result of the study, "Protection against Discrimination and the Promotion of Personnel Diversity in Working Life - Status of Implementation and Practice in Companies, Administrations and Third Sector Organisations", pre-sented by the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency. The Institute für Mittelstandsforschung Bonn and the helpline "Pro-diversity" conducted the research.

The study aimed to fathom the implementation of the AGG and how companies, administrations and organisations in the third sector handle diversity from the perspective of human resources managers. Accordingly, diversity measures were being taken in each of the 50 companies, administrations, and third-sector organisations surveyed. All organisations prioritise gender equality, followed by disability and age issues.

The survey also showed that the company's size plays a decisive role in implementing the AGG. While large companies, organisations, and administrations usually present themselves as well-positioned, there is still potential for im-provement among small businesses and small organisations in the third sector. More than half of the small companies surveyed were not aware of the AGG, even more than 15 years after it came into force.

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