What is a works council?

A works council consists of employees who are elected by all the employees. As a works council, they then represent the interests of all employees vis-à-vis the employer. According to the law, a works council can be established in all companies with more than 5 employees. In order to establish a works council, the employees themselves must suggest this and motivate other employees to vote or stand for office.

In the public sector, the elected employees are known as the staff council. A staff council is elected in all departments with 5 or more employees. The more employees there are, the more people are on the staff council. Similar rules apply to a staff council as to a works council. The staff council represents the interests of employees in the public sector.

The rights of staff councils are governed by the Staff Representation Act (Personalvertretungsgesetz) and the Federal Staff Representation Act (Bundespersonalvertretungsgesetz).

In a company with a works/staff council, employees have more rights and can have a greater say in decision-making.