Works council and co-determination
A works council can be elected once there are five permanent employees entitled to vote, and the employer may neither prevent nor influence the election. The first module shows who counts, how large the works council becomes, how the simplified election works and which release from work, training and material costs the business bears. The second sets out co-determination in social matters under section 87 BetrVG, consent to hiring and transfers, the reconciliation of interests and social plan in operational changes, and how the conciliation committee works.
Intermediate2 modules50 minModule 1 free to read
2026 rules — verified on September 23, 2026
Figures are tied to dated, sourced tax constants. A module whose rules have changed is flagged for review, and is unpublished automatically beyond 90 days.
By the end of this course, you can…
These outcomes are the modules' own: the promise cannot say anything the course does not teach.
- recognise from which headcount a works council can be elected and who sets it in motion
- identify who may vote, who may stand and who does not count in your own establishment
- read the size of the works council from the scale in section 9 BetrVG
- follow the simplified election procedure used in smaller establishments
- plan release from work, training entitlements and material costs as items borne by the employer
- distinguish information, consultation, refusal of consent and full co-determination
- recognise the social matters in section 87 most often touched in the daily life of an establishment
- submit a hiring or transfer properly under section 99 and manage the one-week deadline
- distinguish the reconciliation of interests from the social plan in an operational change and check the thresholds of section 112a
- place the composition, working method and costs of the conciliation committee
The programme, module by module
Each module has its own page. Durations are derived from the actual text, never announced by hand.
- Module 124 minFree — no accountWhen a works council comes into being, how large it becomes and what it costsWhat you will be able to do
- recognise from which headcount a works council can be elected and who sets it in motion
- identify who may vote, who may stand and who does not count in your own establishment
- read the size of the works council from the scale in section 9 BetrVG
- follow the simplified election procedure used in smaller establishments
- plan release from work, training entitlements and material costs as items borne by the employer
- Module 225 minIncluded in the full courseCo-determination in daily operations, in personnel measures and in operational changesWhat you will be able to do
- distinguish information, consultation, refusal of consent and full co-determination
- recognise the social matters in section 87 most often touched in the daily life of an establishment
- submit a hiring or transfer properly under section 99 and manage the one-week deadline
- distinguish the reconciliation of interests from the social plan in an operational change and check the thresholds of section 112a
- place the composition, working method and costs of the conciliation committee
What you take away
A handout you keep, not just a page you read. The sections are derived from the course itself: what is announced here is exactly what gets generated.
Participant handout (PDF)
PDF
- Learning objectives (2)
- Key figures (9)
- Mistakes to avoid (2)
- Official sources (2)
Exercise workbook (Word)
Word
- Learning objectives (2)
- Key figures (9)
- Mistakes to avoid (2)
- Official sources (2)
Answers live in a separate appendix: the participant handout and the workbook stay distributable before the exercise.
Or unlock everything with the pack at €29.00/month incl. VATCalculator reports, form documents and full courses, cancel any time.
Already purchased? Download your handouts
Where this course leads
A course that leads neither to a calculator nor to a form cannot be published: this block is the visible counterpart of that rule.
Run the numbers
The linked calculators apply this course's rules to your own figures — for free.
Educational content, current with the sources cited. It does not replace advice tailored to your situation. These courses are neither certifying nor CPF-eligible: they prepare for no certification registered with the French RNCP or specific register.