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Woman fired for eating co-worker’s chocolate bar wins back job

A woman and her employer reached a settlement on Wednesday in a case over how she was fired without notice from her job of 30 years over eating a colleague's chocolate bar.

Published: 27 July 2017 17:08 CEST

Woman fired for eating co-worker's chocolate bar wins back job

File photo of an unrelated chocolate bar: DPA

The woman, Juliane L., had been employed as a care worker at a facility for disabled children for more than three decades, when she was fired in February without notice over accusations that she ate a colleague’s chocolate bar worth €2.50, and also used a work washing machine for private purposes.

The employer had argued that these were violations of house rules, and that she had repeatedly stolen other items. Aside from the chocolate bar, the employer said she had taken a colleague’s bag without consent and given it to a student as a “secret Santa” gift.

At the age of 64, Juliane L. was up for retirement in just a few years.

A Heidelberg court found that the personal use of a facility washing machine had not been explicitly forbidden, and that the fate of the €10 bag could not be clarified. Therefore the only remaining allegation was regarding the chocolate bar.

But the judge also noted that the chocolate bar had been replaced.

“Infringing on someone's property is still not funny,” said judge Daniel Obst.

The two parties agreed to the terms of a settlement suggested by Obst, stipulating that Juliane L. would accept a formal disciplinary warning for consuming the chocolate, and that her employment contract would resume.

“We do not want to hurt the woman,” said employer spokesman for SRH-Gruppe Nils Birschmann.

He added that the woman's termination was not so much about the chocolate bar, but about setting an example for the children at the centre.

“With my head held high, I have done nothing wrong,” said the 64-year-old. “I do not feel relieved.”

A similar case also in Heidelberg was heard in court as well on Thursday. A journalist was fired without notice from her local publication because she was using the office mail system for personal mail. The total cost of the postage she used: €3.70.

SEE ALSO: German court rules bosses can't use keyboard-tracking software to spy on workers

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions.

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds.

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local.

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with.

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