Managing the Works Council

As chair and secretary of the Works Council, you have taken on an important task. You form the daily management (also called ‘dagelijks bestuur (DB)’) of the Council. In this program we use the word DB (daily board/dagelijks bestuur) as an abbreviation for the chairpersons and secretaries. You have been chosen, but you might not have learned the skills necessary for leading a meeting and the Works Council. How do you ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible and that good results are achieved? A good organization of the Works Council’s tasks is essential for this, where the DB has a role in ensuring this happens efficiently.

During the basic DB training you will acquire all the basic knowledge and skills required to properly shape your position as chairperson or secretary.

Content of the training

We build the training around the following themes:

Getting acquainted with the trainer and the course group;
Preparing for the meeting;
Decision-making in the Works Council;
Leading the consultation meeting;
Actions for improvement.

Working method

The trainer briefly introduces each theme after which you get to work with practical exercises. You can bring in situations from your own practice and there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions. You will receive tips from the trainer and from your fellow participants.

Objectives of the training

After completing this training of SBI Formaat:

You know what (managerial) tasks you have as chairperson and secretary and what bottlenecks, dilemmas and solutions these tasks entail;
You know how to reach decisions within the Works Council;
You can make an adequate contribution during a meeting from your role as chairperson or secretary;
You can assess your own agenda for a Works Council meeting based on the criteria dealt with;
You are able to start the next consultation meeting well-prepared;
You have analysed your own bottlenecks from Works Council practice and explored solutions.

For whom?

This training is designed for beginning chairs and secretaries. The emphasis is on preparing and leading Works Council meetings and consultation meetings.
Chairpersons and secretaries can register individually for this training. We recommend attending this training as a duo (possibly with vice chair and/or vice secretary).

09:00 - 09:30
Arrival at the location
Welcome with coffee and tea.
09:30 - 10:30
Getting acquainted with the group
A great thing about this training is that you can learn from other chairs and secretaries of Works Councils from various organizations. We start the training with an introduction. You get to know each other better and get a picture of the other organizations. Furthermore, you get a first impression of the different Works Councils and the way the other chairpersons and secretaries work.
10:30 - 12:30
Preparing for the meeting
Good preparation is half of the work! We will look at your current agendas and reflect on what is going well and what you can improve. You will learn tips and tricks on how to prepare a proper agenda and lead the meeting with care.
12:30 - 13:30
Lunch break
13:30 - 14:30
Decision-making in the Works Council during the meeting
During the meeting, many opinions can arise. Perhaps your most important task is to guide decision-making within the Works Council. The Works Council must take joint positions on a variety of topics. How do you ensure that the Works Council members, each with their own opinions, align together?

You will learn how to proceed in order to reach a decision with the Works Council. We also pay attention to the interplay between chair and secretary during the meeting.
14:30 - 16:00
Leading the consultation meeting
In the consultation meeting, the Works Council speaks with the director. This afternoon we will discuss leading the consultation meeting.

You will learn how to prepare and lead a meeting. It is important that the Works Council members complement and reinforce each other. You will learn how to technically chair the consultation meeting. The other Works Council members then act as spokespersons in terms of content. Strategies such as suspending the meeting are also discussed.
16:00 - 16:30
Improvement actions for your own work
At the end of the training, you assess the outcomes. What concrete things do you want to change or improve in working with your Works Council?

You will discuss with each other what you want to improve and make agreements. Some points of improvement you can tackle immediately yourself. Other improvements must be discussed within the Works Council. The question of what support your Works Council will need in the coming period will also be discussed.
16:30 - 16:45
Reflection and end of training
We will evaluate and wrap up the training.