Participation and constructive dissent through works councils or staff representation

For organisations with 50 or more employees, employee participation is a legal requirement. These organisations must establish a works council (OR). Within the education sector, a comparable system applies through participation councils, in which parents, students, and teaching staff have a voice.

In smaller organisations with 10 to 50 employees, employee participation can be organised through a works council (OR) or a staff representation body (PVT). The works council plays an important role in the development and implementation of occupational health and safety (OHS) policies, and therefore also in policies aimed at preventing inappropriate or transgressive behaviour. The works council has the right of consent when establishing, amending, or withdrawing OHS regulations, such as a code of conduct. It also has advisory rights regarding the selection of an occupational health service and a confidential counsellor, as well as the right to information, which also applies to OHS-related matters.

In addition, the works council may accompany labour inspections, speak privately with inspectors, receive inspection reports, and appeal inspection decisions. The works council fulfils a monitoring and signalling role towards management.

If an organisation does not have a works council or staff representation body, management is legally required to hold a staff meeting at least twice a year. During these meetings, employees must be informed about important developments and given the opportunity to provide advice. More information about the legal obligations for organisations can be found here.

Participation and constructive dissent within teams

Having a works council or staff representation body does not automatically mean that participation or constructive dissent is possible within teams. Moreover, interns or self-employed workers (freelancers) often do not have access to these legally regulated forms of employee participation. For this reason, it is important for organisations to also pay attention to participation and constructive dissent on the work floor.

By structurally embedding participation and constructive dissent within teams, you strengthen not only psychological safety but also engagement and collaboration within your organisation. It is, of course, essential that leaders also act on the input they receive.

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♦ Inspraak en tegenspraak binnen teams

‍Als je als organisatie een OR of PVT hebt, wil dat niet zeggen dat er ook inspraak of tegenspraak mogelijk is in teams. Daarnaast hebben stagiaires of zzp’ers (vaak) geen toegang tot deze wettelijk geregelde medezeggenschap. Daarom is het van belang om als organisatie ook aandacht te hebben voor inspraak en tegenspraak op de werkvloer. Door structureel aandacht te besteden aan inspraak en tegenspraak binnen teams, versterk je niet alleen de psychologische veiligheid, maar ook de betrokkenheid en samenwerking binnen je organisatie. Het is daarbij uiteraard van belang dat je als leidinggevende ook wat doet met de informatie die je ophaalt.