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Participation at work

Participation at work refers to the involvement of employees in management decision-making in the workplace by means other than information and consultation, either in relation to wider company issues (workplace social dialogue) or in their immediate job (task discretion).  

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EU context

According to Council Directive 2001/86/EC supplementing the European Company Statute with regard to the involvement of employees, participation is the influence of the body representative of the employees and/or the employee representatives in the affairs of a company through 1) the right to elect or appoint some of the members of the company’s supervisory or administrative organ, or 2) the right to recommend and/or oppose the appointment of some or all of the members of the company’s supervisory or administrative organ (Article 2(k)). This definition of participation is repeated in Council Directive 2003/72/EC of 22 July 2003 supplementing the Statute for a European Cooperative Society with regard to the involvement of employees.

 

European Industrial Relations Dictionary 

Eurofound expert(s)

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Gijs van Houten is a senior research manager in the Employment unit at Eurofound. He has specific expertise in cross-national survey methodology and the analysis of workplace...

Senior research manager,
Employment research unit
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Franz Eiffe is a research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. He is involved in projects on sustainable work, quantitative analyses and upward convergence in the EU, as...

Research manager,
Working life research unit
Publications results (58)

This paper is one in a series of sector profiles giving an overview of structural characteristics, work organisation practices, human resource management, employee participation and social dialogue in the public administration and defence sector. It is based on the third European Company Survey (ECS

22 December 2016

This paper is one in a series of sector profiles giving an overview of structural characteristics, work organisation practices, human resource management, employee participation and social dialogue in the business, administration and other services sector. It is based on the third European Company

22 December 2016

This paper is one in a series of sector profiles giving an overview of structural characteristics, work organisation practices, human resource management, employee participation and social dialogue in the industry sector. It is based on the third European Company Survey (ECS). The sector includes

22 December 2016

This paper is one in a series of sector profiles giving an overview of structural characteristics, work organisation practices, human resource management, employee participation and social dialogue in the financial services sector. It is based on the third European Company Survey (ECS). The sector

22 December 2016

This paper is one in a series of sector profiles giving an overview of structural characteristics, work organisation practices, human resource management, employee participation and social dialogue in the commerce and hospitality sector. It is based on the third European Company Survey (ECS). The

22 December 2016

This paper is one in a series of sector profiles giving an overview of structural characteristics, work organisation practices, human resource management, employee participation and social dialogue in the transport sector. It is based on the third European Company Survey (ECS). The sector includes

22 December 2016

This paper is one in a series of sector profiles giving an overview of structural characteristics, work organisation practices, human resource management, employee participation and social dialogue in the construction sector. It is based on the third European Company Survey (ECS). The sector

22 December 2016

This topical update looks at the issue of employee involvement and participation at work, specifically reviewing recent pieces of research at EU and national level, EU directives, changes in the legal framework, social partner initiatives and debates identified in EurWORK quarterly reports during

25 October 2016

This report maps, analyses and discusses key dimensions and indicators for a comparative framework of industrial relations. It then identifies and assesses existing data sources that can be used to measure the different dimensions of the comparative framework.

30 September 2016

Well-functioning social dialogue is a key component for the successful design and implementation of reforms needed to increase the competitiveness of Europe’s economies and create more jobs. It balances workers’ and employers’ interests and contributes to both economic competitiveness and social

06 September 2016

Online resources results (200)

EU-Level: Recasting the information and consultation directives?

The European Commission has indicated the possibility of its reviewing and simplifying the existing directives on information and consultation. The European-level social partners have been consulted and have given their responses. Plans, however, appear to at least be on hold.

Norway: Nordic model not used to its full potential at company level

The Nordic model, a term used partly to describe the system of cooperation between workers and employers, is considered a success. However, according to data gathered by Fafo, the Norwegian research institute, the scope of cooperation between Norwegian social partners at company level varies and

Luxembourg: Reform of employee representation in companies

On 1 January 2016, implementation began of a law radically reforming social dialogue in Luxembourg. By 2018, this law will have abolished joint committees, which are currently mandatory for all companies employing 150 employees or more. The powers of these committees will transfer to staff

Netherlands: Legislation to enhance works councils' rights

Legislation regarding worker participation in the Netherlands gives a boost to works councils rights in 2015.

United Kingdom: Report identifies key levers for improving workplace productivity

Amid the extensive debate about the UK’s relatively poor productivity record, a recent report from Acas identifies seven key factors for improving workplace productivity: well-designed work; skilled managers; effective conflict management; clarity about rights and responsibilities; fairness

UK: Unions unhappy at European court ruling on collective redundancy case

Trade unions in the UK have expressed disappointment at a ruling clarifying the EU directive on collective redundancies. However, employers’ groups welcomed the decision by the European Court of Justice which confirms that, under EU law, redundancy consultation obligations can be triggered on an

France: Companies establish single database for works councils' consultations

The Employment Safeguarding Act requires companies to establish such a database to store information of an economic and social nature.

Denmark: Evaluation of new rules on local social dialogue on the working environment

In July 2014, the Danish Working Environment Authority published the findings of an evaluation of rules on the organisation of local social dialogue (AMO) about the working environment introduced in 2010. More businesses are now working strategically with working environment issues, though not all

Netherlands: Merger Code revision considered

The Netherlands’ Social and Economic Council (SER) established a commission in February 2014 to investigate whether it should revise rules that cover the merger or takeover of companies and unions’ rights to information and consultation during these processes. The commission is expected to give its


Blogs results (5)
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As we leave behind the lockdowns and business disruptions of COVID-19 and enter a ‘new normal’, it is time to talk about how workplaces might be transformed to drive innovation. Some may baulk at this suggestion, as we continue to grapple with the pandemic fallout, but crises have always been a crad

28 juin 2021
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COVID-19 has shown that some things can hit us out of the blue. The pandemic sent a shockwave through businesses all over the world and has brought massive changes to work organisation, internal communication and day-to-day operations for many companies. Doubtless, the depth of the pandemic’s impact

21 juin 2021
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The COVID-19 pandemic compelled governments to take exceptional measures to monitor and control the spread of the Coronavirus. Among them was the introduction in most EU Member States of tracking apps to gather data on citizens who have contracted the virus and to trace their contacts, a measure tha

13 janvier 2021
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According to the dictionary, an organisation is an organised group of people with a particular purpose. To achieve this purpose, tasks are divided between the members of the group, and the task of some of those people is to manage the others. Interestingly, whereas most tasks are allocated based on

27 novembre 2020
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Motivated workers have higher levels of engagement, better health and are able to work longer. Improving motivation at work is therefore a key component in meeting the challenges of Europe’s ageing workforce and improving the EU’s long-term competitiveness on a global scale. This means that fosterin

20 mars 2019
Data results (2)
24 octobre 2023
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