Scandal in the gym: secret videos of the locker room

A shocking incident rocked a fitness studio in Upper Austria: A young sports trainer discovered secretly recorded videos that showed her almost naked. This shocking discovery set off a chain of events and led to the intervention of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor (AK).

After the trainer found the recordings, she desperately turned to the Chamber of Labor. The fact that the videos could clearly be attributed to her boss, the owner of the studio, led her to decide to terminate her employment prematurely.

Consistent approach by the AK Upper Austria

The AK Upper Austria immediately recognized the seriousness of the case and described it as a particularly blatant case of sexual harassment. With the help of an out-of-court settlement, the AK’s lawyers managed to obtain more than 7,000 euros in damages and compensation for termination for the trainer.

Demand for improvements in the law

Andreas Stangl, President of the Chamber of Labor, pointed out that this case was unfortunately not an isolated incident. According to the AK’s legal protection report, around 276,000 euros were won last year alone for violations of the Equal Treatment Act. These figures clearly show the urgent need for legal improvements. The AK’s statistics show that women are particularly often affected by unfair treatment situations. In 2023, women accounted for three quarters of all reported equal treatment and discrimination cases. What is particularly alarming is that 94 percent of cases of sexual harassment affect women.

In view of the alarming figures, Stangl is calling for further changes to the law. The current statutory compensation of 1,000 euros is far too low and must be increased urgently to have a deterrent effect. He is also calling for a statutory minimum compensation for job loss due to discrimination of six months’ salary, similar to what is already provided for in the Disabled Persons Employment Act.