Sexual harassment is not uncommon in the daily work of cashiers.
Maurike Maaßen now reports bitter experiences.
Cologne - Sexual harassment is a sad part of everyday life in Germany - including at work.
This is shown by studies and social media campaigns such as #Aufschrei or #MeToo.
Not excluded from this: the German supermarkets.
This is also confirmed by Maurike Maaßen in an interview with
Deutschlandfunk
.
Maurike Maaßen works at Netto in Altenessen as a cashier and works councilor.
In everyday working life, cashiers repeatedly have to deal with sexual harassment from customers, according to Maaßen.
Due to the cash register belt and the partition walls installed since Corona, there is at least a relative protection against sexual harassment at the cash register.
It looks completely different on the shop floor.
"There have always been attacks," reports Maurike Maaßen to
Deutschlandfunk
.
Sexual harassment at Netto: Many employees do not defend themselves
The exploitation of power relationships also plays a role again and again.
Because many employees do not fight back for fear of losing their jobs.
The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency also emphasizes that employees always have the right to defend themselves against sexual harassment.
Above all, blame should not be sought with those affected.
It is not uncommon for customers to crack sexually suggestive jokes against cashiers. Maaßen prevents this at their checkout with a self-confident demeanor, as she says.
And if something should come up, she defends herself verbally.
But she has colleagues who don't know what to do at such a moment.
And so it is for many of those affected that simply do not know how to react to sexual harassment in the workplace.
In addition to verbal sexual harassment, there is also physical harassment.
“A colleague recently packed shelves.
Instead of saying, 'Can you step aside for a moment, please?
I want to go to the shelf '- literally press against it and then grab something from the shelf from above, ”the cashier tells in an interview with
Deutschlandfunk
.
Netto cashier: raise awareness and awareness
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Survey: Frequency of Types of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Archive Image)
© dpa-infografik / dpa / picture alliance
Educational work is needed to prevent sexual harassment.
One has to raise awareness, to recognize them and to defend oneself accordingly.
Because verbal attacks would often be belittled.
And this although verbal harassment through jokes or sayings about it is also sexual harassment.
The anti-discrimination agency also noted the lack of information: "More than half of all employees in Germany have experienced or observed sexual harassment in the workplace - but many are insufficiently informed about their rights." Anti-Discrimination Agency published the guideline “What to do in the event of sexual harassment in the workplace?” According to Maaßen, attacks are still a taboo subject at the moment.
In her opinion, a lot more needs to be said about it.
In addition, she sees a need for trade in politics, "because nothing comes from there".
