Question 3
A woman in Germany loses her job. What must not be the reason for her dismissal?
German original: Eine Frau in Deutschland verliert ihre Arbeit. Was darf nicht der Grund für diese Entlassung sein?. In the test, all questions are asked in German.
Answer options
- The woman has been ill for a long time and is unable to work.
- The woman was often late for work.
- The woman does private things during working hours.
- The woman is having a child and her boss knows it. — Correct answer
Explanation
Pregnancy and motherhood are not legal grounds for dismissal. The Maternity Protection Act prohibits dismissal during pregnancy and up to four months after birth.
Key terms in this question
- Germany — Germany is a country in central Europe with a parliamentary democracy. It is a member of the European Union and its capital is Berlin.
- this / these — 'Diese' is a German demonstrative pronoun used to point to a specific person or thing that is already known or has just been mentioned.
- is allowed to / may — 'Darf' is a form of the modal verb 'dürfen', used in the first or third person singular. It expresses that something is permitted or allowed.
- Federal state — A federal state is one of the 16 regions that together form Germany. Each state has its own government, parliament, and areas of responsibility.
- Woman / Mrs. / Ms. — A female person. The word is also used as a polite form of address for adult women, for example 'Frau Müller'.
- work / labor — Work is an activity that people do to earn money or accomplish something. It can be physical or mental in nature.
- her / their — A possessive pronoun indicating that something belongs to a woman or to a group of people. It changes its form to match the noun it refers to.
- to be — 'Sein' is the fundamental auxiliary verb in German, expressing states, characteristics, or the existence of a person or thing. It is also used as an auxiliary to form past tenses.