Mick Hartley

Another one from Reduxx. A trans woman in Germany is making a nice living for himself by applying for jobs he's not qualified for and has no intention of taking up, then suing over discrimination.

A trans-identified male in Dortmund, Germany, is facing scrutiny after winning over €250,000 over the course of 240 separate discrimination lawsuits. Many have accused the man, who has been unemployed for 12 years, of using Germany’s strict protections for those who self-identify as transgender to enrich himself.

Apart from three internships and one short-term job, the trans-identified man has been unemployed since 2012 and receives public welfare. While Germany has strict privacy laws that have resulted in the man’s identity being censored, Reduxx can reveal his name as Alina Steffen.

In a recent interview with Westphalen Blatt, Steffen claimed to have applied for over 1,577 jobs over the last eight years, but reported he has struggled to find a position. But critics have accused Steffen of running something akin to a racket, labelling him an “AGG-hopper.” The German slang term refers to individuals who do not apply for a job with the intention of actually taking it up, but rather to receive compensation for alleged violations of anti-discrimination laws.

Steffen has been known to apply for jobs he does not actually qualify for throughout the North Rhine-Westphalia region. For example, in one instance he applied for a job which was a one-hour drive from his home despite the fact he does not have a driver’s license and cannot drive.

But the moment Steffen receives a rejection from a job he applies for, he files a lawsuit citing a violation of the German Equal Treatment Act (AGG). Steffen has also filed lawsuits for jobs he never applied for, but found to be “discriminatory” in advance by focusing on minor errors in the job advertisements.

For example, in one case, an advertisement omitted to specify that people of “diverse” genders can apply, and only stated that “male and female” applicants were welcome. Steffen sued over this omission and won.

Despite being on welfare, the hefty compensation awarded to Steffen by labor courts in various districts is not offset against his welfare benefits and is tax-free. As a result, Steffen is collecting welfare and raking in hundreds of thousands of Euros in court awards.

Nice (non) work if you can get it.

In addition to his lengthy history of court battles, Steffen is a self-published author who sells ebooks for less than one euro on neobooks.com. Among his publications are books on job hunting, including one titled “The Professional Application.” The book describes itself as offering expert advice on finding a job. Another book written by Steffen is called “Tips for the Perfect Job Interview.”