Physical Assaults Overtake Verbal Harassment in German Workplaces as New Prevention Framework Targets Toxic Leadership
12.06.2026 - 00:43:28 | boerse-global.de
For the first time, reports of physical harassment or serious assault in Germany’s cultural sector have surpassed cases of verbal abuse — a shift that experts say reflects a broader societal hardening spilling into professional life. The advisory body Themis recorded 68 incidents of physical assault or severe harassment in 2025, compared with 37 verbal episodes. Just one year earlier, the ratio was nearly reversed: 68 verbal complaints against 61 physical ones.
The trend has accelerated in early 2026. By the end of the first quarter, Themis had already logged 20 physical attacks. Its president, Zöllner, and managing board member Lansink interpret the figures as evidence that intensified public aggression and entrenched power dynamics are increasingly playing out in the workplace.
The alarming data arrives as the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) releases fresh recommendations for managers to systematically combat workplace bullying — or “Mobbing,” as it is widely termed in German working life. At the core of the guidance, published this Thursday, is a four-phase model designed to give leaders a structured framework for handling conflicts before they escalate.
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Clear internal rules and a rigorous assessment of psychosocial risks form the foundation of the approach, the DGUV says. A digital tool called “PsyGesund,” developed by the Hannover municipal accident insurance association, already helps companies systematically capture mental strain among employees. Alongside these measures, the DGUV has issued specialist publications on conflict management and on mitigating heat exhaustion as an additional stressor.
The urgency of such prevention is reinforced by fresh findings on leadership behaviour. An analysis released this Wednesday shows that toxic management is now a leading cause of resignations. Poor supervision not only erodes motivation and loyalty but threatens long-term business performance. A 2025 meta-analysis published in the journal Current Psychology examined data from more than 10,000 employees across 25 studies. It concluded that transformational leadership significantly reduces burnout risk. Longitudinal data also indicated that a supervisor’s behaviour can predict burnout symptoms months in advance.
Meanwhile, parallel to these workplace-health efforts, Germany faces mounting political pressure from Brussels. The deadline to transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive into national law passed on 7 June without a domestic statute having been adopted. While public-sector employees can already claim a direct right to information on pay structures, private companies remain in legal limbo as they wait for clear rules.
In a government statement today, Chancellor Merz called for broad labour-market reforms. A summit at the Chancellery brought the ruling coalition and social partners together to identify key challenges such as cutting red tape and managing demographic change, but they failed to agree on concrete solutions. Additional reform proposals — including changes to working-time rules — are expected before the July parliamentary summer break.
