“Toxic” work situations: Works council complains about grievances at Biontech

In the middle of a major phase of upheaval, a works council letter at Biontech is causing unrest. The employee representatives report “toxic workplace situations” and employees who feel left alone with their worries. Management reacts.

In a letter to the board, the Biontech works council criticized the treatment of employees and the behavior of the company management in the ongoing transformation. The letter mentions, among other things, specific reports of sexism, racism, discrimination and threats. The company said it was taking the allegations very seriously.

The letter goes on to say that employees are unsettled by restructuring and the announced closure of locations and feel burdened by this. Employees reported to the works council that they were afraid of the future and their jobs and felt left alone with their worries. In individual areas, employees perceive a standstill in decisions. There is also talk of “toxic workplace situations”. In the letter delivered on Monday, the board is asked to ensure clarity and reliability in a timely manner.

Biontech said it was now important to talk to each other and to distinguish rumors from established facts. The company is primarily seeking dialogue with employee representatives. Biontech does not tolerate retaliation against whistleblowers, discrimination, sexism, racism or threats. As soon as there are significant developments in the company, these will be communicated via the appropriate channels. “However, there can be no talk of a standstill in operational business,” emphasized the company.

For the Mainz-based company, which became famous and rich with its Covid-19 vaccine in the corona pandemic, 2026 is a very eventful year: In this year, Biontech was in the red, mainly due to high expenditure on the development of new products, for example in oncology, and announced that it would close the Tübingen locations at the end of 2027, Marburg at the beginning of 2028 and Idar-Oberstein at the end of 2028.

In addition, the co-founders, the couple Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci, will leave by the end of this year at the latest and will work in a new company called Arife. The successor for Şahin has been found: Guido Oelkers will become CEO by February 1, 2027 at the latest. He comes from the Swedish biopharmaceutical company Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi). It is not yet clear who will succeed Türeci, the medical director.