Private life
"Because of your post, you're getting a warning."
You posted something privately about the company or colleagues.
Art. 5 GG / § 13 Nr. 6 BBiG / § 22 BBiG
It depends …
Opinions yes — insults, secrets and photos of others no.
As a trainee you too have freedom of expression (Art. 5 GG): objective criticism or a post about a tiring day is allowed. The limits are insults to your trainer, colleagues or customers, disclosing business and trade secrets (§ 13 no. 6 BBiG), photos or videos of colleagues without their consent, and pictures from areas where photography is forbidden. Such posts can justify a warning, and serious cases (e.g. gross insults) even termination for good cause (§ 22 (2) BBiG). "Private" groups and stories are not really private if colleagues are reading along.
What the law says
Art. 5 (1) GG – Freedom of expression
Everyone has the right to express their opinion freely; limits include the right to personal honour.
§ 13 no. 6 BBiG – Confidentiality
Trainees must keep business and trade secrets confidential.
What you can do
- No names, no photos of colleagues, no internal information — then you are almost always safe.
- Better sort out anger in a personal conversation or with the JAV/works council.
- If you get a warning: adding a counter-statement to your personnel file is your right.
- Delete a post that went too far and apologise — that counts in the assessment.