The Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) warns its employees not to use a gender star or other special characters for gender-sensitive language in their official letters and documents. The BMF, headed by department head Christian Lindner (FDP), relies on the requirements of the Council for German Spelling, which are binding for the federal government.
The house notice recommends naming both genders in accordance with the recommendations of the Spelling Council, for example "pupils", or using neutral wording.