Humiliation, harassment, bullying - the Max Planck Society took up the fight against misconduct in its ranks years ago. It hired an external confidentiality office, strengthened the ombudsman system, expanded psychological support services, introduced management training and mandatory surveys on work culture. There is a code of conduct, guidelines and procedural rules for dealing with complaints. But none of this seems to help, as research by Spiegel and Deutschen Welle reveals. New allegations of suspected abuse of power suggest that the complaints procedures are failing and the suffering of those affected continues. The findings have a relevance that extends far beyond the Max Planck Society. It must alarm the scientific community as a whole, because: The procedures introduced by the MPG are similar to those of other research organizations and universities in Germany.
Source: ZEIT WISSEN³, https://www.zeit.de/wissendrei/index