Client stories

A pay discussion based on duties, not titles

K., product engineer, Munich

K. learned informally that a recently hired colleague had a higher base salary. Their titles differed slightly, and an immediate accusation would have allowed the discussion to stop at labels. In the review, we compared recurring duties, decision authority, experience requirements, on-call expectations, and pay components. K. prepared a short written request asking how the role was evaluated and which criteria explained the difference.

The employer did not immediately adjust the salary. It did provide the grading criteria and schedule a formal role review. K. described the consultation as “useful because it replaced an angry comparison with questions the manager actually had to answer.”

Separating a poor process from a discrimination concern

R., finance applicant, Frankfurt

After a late-stage rejection, R. was convinced an age-related remark had decided the outcome. We reviewed interview notes, the remark, role criteria, follow-up email, and what was known—and not known—about the successful candidate. The comment deserved to be recorded, but the available file did not establish the reason for the decision.

R. found the caution frustrating at first. They later said: “I wanted certainty and did not get it. I did get a responsible explanation of the gap, plus a concise record I could take to legal advice.”

Preparing for a return-to-work meeting

L., account director, Hamburg

L. reported reduced client responsibility after parental leave and a series of comments about availability. We placed assignment changes, meeting dates, prior performance reviews, and comparator information on one timeline. The consultation produced a focused agenda for a works council conversation and identified records to preserve.

“The strongest part was distinguishing what colleagues had actually said from what I had inferred. My works council contact could understand the sequence in ten minutes.”

These stories are illustrative past experiences. Every workplace record is different, and no outcome is promised.