Indicator history

One of the most significant large-scale programmes against discrimination in employment are the nationwide programme ‘XENOS – living and working in diversity’ (Xenos- Leben und Arbeiten in Vielfalt), financially and politically supported by the German government.  XENOS aims at combating ethnic discrimination in employment and fostering migrants’ access to the labour market and diversity in general. Within the large-scale funding scheme XENOS, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs launched a sub-programme that seeks to improve the labour market integration of groups of refugees and migrants with a tolerated status (Duldung). It aims to strengthen those local and regional networks and initiatives which assist the target group in securing employment and provide further training to those who have a job already in order to enhance their chances to keep their job.

Another notable initiative is the German diversity management campaign ‘Diversity Charter’ (Charter der Vielfalt), which constitutes one of the most important networks of companies and institutions in Germany to foster diversity and anti-discrimination principles in the labour market. By signing the charter, the member companies and institutions commit themselves to values such as tolerance and fairness.

In November 2010, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Office (Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes, ADS) has initiated a nationwide pilot project in order to test the method of anonymous job applications. Different companies as well as government agencies and municipalities implemented this method of staff recruitment. In the course of this pilot project, several thousands of applications have been made anonymous

Source:

• Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs (Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales), XENOS - Leben und Arbeiten in Vielfalt, http://www.esf.de/portal/generator/6734/xenos__leben__arbeiten__in__vielfalt__inhalte.html (accessed on 19.01.2012).
• Diversity Charter (Charter der Vielfalt e.V.), http://www.charta-der-vielfalt.de/ (accessed on 19.01.2012).
• Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes, ADS), Anonymisierte Bewerbungsverfahren - das Pilotprojekt, http://www.antidiskriminierungsstelle.de/DE/Projekte_ADS/anonymisierte_bewerbungen/anonymisierte_bewerbungen_node.html;jsessionid=4B1303E7942A5A389E671FF668E11053.2_cid094 (accessed on 19.01.2012).