You can proceed through the process to obtain works council consent yourself. There is no legal obligation to engage an external party for this. What is necessary: a draft of the reporting procedure, time to answer questions from the works council, and an overview of what exactly is being presented and why.
Whether it makes sense to do it entirely yourself depends on how much experience your organization already has with employee participation and how complex the procedure is. A small organization with one location and a simple procedure requires less coordination than a company with multiple collective labor agreements, shift work, or a corporate group structure.
What the process itself involves
The core of consent is that the works council receives the draft of the reporting procedure, has time for it, and gives formal approval before the procedure takes effect. In practice, that means: drafting a written document, putting it on the agenda for a consultation meeting, answering questions, possibly presenting a revised version, and documenting the consent. That is a procedural task. Anyone within the organization who has worked with the works council before recognizes the pattern and can do it independently.
The content of the procedure itself — who handles reports, which timeframes apply, how anonymity is safeguarded — does not need to be thought through separately if there is already a foundation in place. consult the knowledge base for the components that belong in a reporting procedure provides an overview of what a procedure typically contains, so you know what you are presenting to the works council.
Where it becomes more challenging
The complexity usually does not lie in the formal process, but in the questions a works council can ask about the content. Think of who the handler will be and whether that person is sufficiently independent, how a report against a board member is handled, or how anonymity works in practice within a small team. These are questions you must have an answer to yourself, regardless of who conducts the conversation with the works council.
In an organization with multiple locations in different EU countries, the consent process can also differ per country, because employee participation is not regulated in the same way everywhere. That does not necessarily make the process more demanding, but it is something you take into account when planning.
When external support makes sense
Support is particularly useful when there is no experience with a consent process, when the works council itself asks for an explanation from a third party, or when a discussion arises about a specific part of the procedure, such as the role of the handler. An advisor or lawyer can then help structure the conversation, but the formal consent always remains between the company management and the works council.
It is also possible to conduct the process yourself and only consult a lawyer for specific questions — for example about the interpretation of employee participation rules. That is a middle ground that works for many SMB organizations: lead the process yourself, with a contact point in reserve for moments when it becomes substantively complicated.
What helps keep it manageable
A draft that is already structured saves time in the conversation with the works council. A complete consent package provides guidance: the draft of the procedure, an explanation of the components, and a format to document the consent. see how such a package is structured and what information it is based on shows how it looks in practice, so you know in advance what will be on the table.
Whether you conduct the process yourself or not, the end result must ultimately be the same: an arrangement that has been approved by the works council, and a record of that moment. Signalo facilitates and structures that process; the assessment of what substantively belongs in the arrangement and the final approval itself lie with you and the works council.
First get your situation clear
Before you decide whether to conduct the approval process yourself, it is useful to know whether the disclosure obligation applies to your organisation and what exactly must then be in place. in a few questions see whether the obligation applies to you provides a free initial indication of that. For those who want to get a broader overview of what a complete process costs, an overview of the subscription models insight into what is and is not included.