This is not just a German problem. I had the same problem in Switzerland where it has happened to me twice. I kept silent & tough (like the lady in your reportage, I too suffered in silence). It was costing me my health. I became aware of how bad it was when I started experiencing paralyzing panic attacks at the site of my office building & sleeplessness. I still become very uneasy when I am within a 2 block radius of my old office building. Most companies provide anonymous counseling but, it is just for public appearance. In reality none of these counselors give any concrete advice or help.... then again they are paid by the company. Having nobody else to rely on I had to put on the breaks before my health was destroyed, so I quit my job. Suing is not an option; it's an unspoken rule in my industry, I would never have been able to find a job again in my field, in this country. I am now unemployed & have justified my quitting with psychological trauma due to mobbing/bullying but, even the public sector is inept at counseling & at least in my case, has neither volunteered help nor even taken my distress into consideration. Due to their ignorance in this matter I am actually expected to find myself a job in the very same field. This would not be difficult for me, do to my experience & seniority but, unfortunately, every time I look at an ad in my field I go into a total mental block situation. While being personally affected by this issue, I did a lot of research. In most European countries bullying is referred to as "mobbing" (English speakers don't attribute the same meaning to this word even though it appears to be English in origin); the consequences of this "traumatic stress disorder" can surface a long time after; not to mention the loss of self esteem & confidence in oneself that continues to linger like a dark spectrum waiting to surface any time one finds oneself challenged again in life.

Anyone who has had to work for a living anywhere in the world has probably had to put up with some form of discrimination. There are all kinds of discrimination but the most common is where one race gangs up against another race and makes their life miserable until they quit or encounter health problems. It used to be whites exploiting blacks in America. This has reversed itself in America and now it is more likely that blacks discriminate against whites in the media promoting "political correct" environment. America tolerates racism today, so long as it is not directed against blacks. The American postal service is a prime example of reverse discrimination against whites. There is still a lot of discrimination against American Indians and most of the treaties were not honored. If America could take off the media imposed blinders and see things as they are, not as the media reports it, this terrible discrimination could be reduced or stopped.

I couldn't get a job if I wanted to. I've been abused, not that I could ever have harm done to me, and I'm sorry if I hurt any abuser's feelings or lie in ratio to them, at almost every work I've had. Now I have a record in addition to being special, so whatever. I know I'm worthless. No money, no rest ever more pain. That's all people care about, so let's torch the Bible and hail the squids and octopus of honesty. Scientology. I'll be a lookout for them or something.

Work, You are very correct. In America it is reverse racism as if we all owe the blacks something. I am a white man who's family came from Germany after WW1, thus never owning slaves. But I am supposed to be politically correct all the time, while the black reap the benefits of free college (which they dont use), government aide, etc.......... While I am $50000 in debt so I could obtain my degree, blacks here get free college and prescedence when interviewing for a job. Our country is so screwed up. Sara, if youa re black, you should come to America, you will be the first in line for any job, get college tuition free, government aide, and be allowed to speak racially while the rest of us are expected to keep our mouths shut.

Sina it is a scandal that we have an anti- discrimination authoroty, but this public authoroty is only established, that People sufferd from discrimination would not get any help. In German Parliament there ist another outhority responsible for Immigration, Foreigners and refugees but they dont want to take any action against theier lobby the present german government. 1,5 Million people in Germany are victims of bullying and discrimination, thats the official numbers published by the govenement. The estimated number of unreported cases are 10 times higher in Germany. About 15 million people in Germany are from foreign origin. In fact, in Germany one third of the population are discriminated in one or the other way. The polititians don't want to take some mesure for the improvment of the situation of the suffering people. A pitty, that people in Germany under the best demokracy of the world experience the most severe infrangement of human dignity and individual rights. German justice system does not want to grant any compensation because these compensation is not usual in Germany. And that is exactly the reason why the employers continue to discriminate people, and bullying is developed as a method for Human resource Policy. In fact, German labour protection law is one of the strict ones in the world. But the lobiism is prior to the law and regulation.

February 24, 2010, 05:19, work wrote > Anyone who has had to work for a living anywhere in the world has probably had to put up with some form of discrimination. There are all kinds of discrimination but the most common is where one race gangs up against another race and makes their life miserable until they quit or encounter health problems. It used to be whites exploiting blacks in America. This has reversed itself in America and now it is more likely that blacks discriminate against whites in the media promoting "political correct" environment. America tolerates racism today, so long as it is not directed against blacks. The American postal service is a prime example of reverse discrimination against whites. There is still a lot of discrimination against American Indians and most of the treaties were not honored. If America could take off the media imposed blinders and see things as they are, not as the media reports it, this terrible discrimination could be reduced or stopped.