Advising Advising

Please submit your complaint to the AGG Complaints Office:

Christina Kautz

T +49.40.428 75-9050

christina.kautz (@) haw-hamburg.de

Please submit your complaint in writing to the AGG Complaints Office. If this is not possible, please make an appointment with the AGG Complaints Office to submit your complaint verbally. The AGG Complaints Office will take down your complaint in writing.

Your complaint will be handled as strictly confidential.

Please note! If you as the complainant would like to keep open the possibility of legal action pursuant to the General Act on Equal Treatment (AGG), you need to submit your complaint to the AGG Complaints Office within two months of becoming aware of the discrimination, harassment or violence.

You have the right to withdraw your complaint or to request the suspension of the complaints process at any time.

Discrimination on the following grounds is forbidden at HAW Hamburg:

• Ethnic background, citizenship and racist ascriptions
• Gender identity (including trans and intersex individuals)
• Religion and worldview
• Disability and chronic illness
• Age
• Sexual orientation

All HAW Hamburg students, employees and doctoral students have the right to submit a complaint to the AGG Complaints Office regarding discrimination, harassment or violence.

The following groups are also entitled to submit complaints: sessional instructors, tutors, guest professors, honorary senators, senior professors, retired professors, retired HAW employees, guest auditors, members of the University Council and external members of appointment committees.

Additionally, third parties have the right to submit complaints if they have experienced discrimination, harassment or violence on university property. Third parties include, for example, cleaning and security staff, visitors at events, and staff from Studierendenwerk Hamburg.

Please note! If you as the complainant would like to keep open the possibility of legal action pursuant to the General Act on Equal Treatment (AGG), you need to submit your complaint to the AGG Complaints Office within two months of becoming aware of the discrimination, harassment or violence.

The HAW Hamburg complaint procedure consists of up to four elements (depending on the case):

• Submission of the complaint to the AGG Complaints Office: The complaint must be submitted in writing, or made verbally at the AGG Complaints Office and taken down in writing.
• Evaluation of the complaint by the AGG Complaints Office: The Complaints Office determines whether the facts of the case constitute discrimination under the General Act on Equal Treatment  (AGG).
• Recommendation regarding further action: If the Complaints Office considers the facts of the case to constitute discrimination, it will submit this finding together with a recommendation for further action to the responsible parties (e.g. supervisor, Executive Board, dean). The measures and sanctions recommended are intended to serve as guidance for the implementation of measures and sanctions by the responsible parties. The complainant will also be informed of the result of the evaluation.
• Internal evaluation of the complaint process