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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)

A munkavállalók képességeik révén járulnak hozzá egy szervezet sikeréhez. A képesség, motiváció, lehetőség (ability, motivation, opportunity, AMO) modell szerint a szervezeti teljesítményhez való munkavállalói hozzájárulás a készségektől, a készségek kihasználására való motiváltságtól és az ehhez

30 March 2023

The economic and labour market contribution of international businesses is well recognised, but policymakers could do more to help such enterprises to develop their activities. This policy brief explores the workplace practices in export-oriented establishments that may contribute to their success

06 October 2021

The EU has long supported innovation in business and in workplaces. The challenges facing Europe as it emerges from the COVID-19 crisis make the need for innovation more urgent. The NextGenerationEU recovery package requires a reorientation of business activities towards innovation for resilience

01 July 2021

Ennek a jelentésnek az Eurofound és a Cedefop által 2019-ben közösen elvégzett negyedik európai vállalati felmérés (ECS) képezi az alapját. A jelentés az európai vállalatok által a munkaszervezés, az emberierőforrás-menedzsment, a készségek kihasználása, a készségfejlesztés és munkavállalók

13 October 2020

How do organisations get the best out of their employees? Research on human resource management has found that a key practice is employee involvement: enabling employees to make decisions on their own work and to contribute to organisational decision-making. A high degree of employee involvement

06 July 2020

This study examines the interaction between social dialogue practices and human resources management (HRM) policies in European multinational companies (MNCs). It looks at the changing role of HRM and its interaction with European Works Councils (EWCs), which can act as a link between different

16 June 2020

Using data from the sixth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), carried out in 2015, the ERM report 2018 examines how workplace factors may influence the relationship between restructuring (with job losses) and the outcomes for employees. It also reviews policy and academic research on good

25 October 2018

Innovation is an important driver of improved competitiveness, productivity and growth potential. This report explores which workplace practices have the strongest links to innovative company behaviour, looking at innovation in the form of new or significantly changed products or processes, new or

22 June 2017

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 health sector. It is based on the third European Company Survey (ECS). The sector includes all

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 education sector. It is based on the third European Company Survey (ECS). The sector includes

22 December 2016

Online resources results (200)

Profit-sharing and personnel policy at Audi

In December 1997, management and company works council [1] at the German car producer Audi AG concluded a works agreement on the introduction of a new permanent profit-sharing system for all employees, which comes into effect from 1998. This is the latest in a number of new personnel policies that

Flexible remuneration and financial participation by employees: state of play in the Netherlands

Both the use of flexible remuneration systems and financial participation through share option schemes have increased markedly in the Netherlands in the 1990s. Generally, employers applaud this development but within the trade unions there are mixed feelings.

Irish postal service faces major industrial relations challenge

A confidential interim report into industrial and employee relations in An Post, Ireland's state-owned postal company, highlights the adversarial nature of its industrial relations structures and practices and how these are inhibiting the development of a more customer focused business. The report

Does Britain still have macho managers?

There are two inter-related factors within UK workplace relations which, arguably, are both caused by, and solvable by British managers. The first is an increase in workplace stress - the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), for example, has recently released figures (in its /Health and safety

Agreement between LO and NHO on amendments to the Basic Agreement

On Thursday 13 November 1997, the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) agreed to recommend a proposal to amend their Basic Agreement (hovedavtale). The two organisations' representative bodies must approve the new Basic Agreement

Is the Luxembourg model of industrial relations in danger?

The "Luxembourg model" of industrial relations is founded on institutionalised negotiation and social dialogue at all levels, but in the late 1990s it is not free from attacks triggered by the globalisation of capital and product markets. This article explains how the model works and assesses its

Large-scale merger leads to formation of Dutch super union

Four large Dutch trade unions, which already cooperate in the FNV confederation, have recently decided to merge. The merger is to be finalised in January 1998, resulting in a union with almost half a million members. For the first time, those receiving social benefits and older people will be

Portugal proceeds with privatisation of Portugal Telecom SA

Portugal Telecom SA, the country's largest telecommunications enterprise, is yet another Portuguese public company to go private, thus leading to a restructuring of its human resources. The latest stage of privatisation took place in October 1997. This feature is an overview of events and the

Breakthrough in union representation in Belgian retail sector

The Organisation for Independent Enterprise (Organisatie voor Zelfstandig Ondernemen), the employers' organisation representing small and medium-sized businesses (SME s), takes part in the consultation process at national and sectoral levels as well as in tripartite decision-making channels. However

From bargaining to cooperation with a new agreement for the state sector

The Swedish legislation on workers' participation is based on collective bargaining, and not on consultation or cooperation. Consequently, it also presupposes that workers exercise their rights through their trade unions. There are no parallel institutions representing employees, such as the


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 június 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 június 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 január 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 november 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 március 2019
Data results (2)
24 október 2023
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