Thomas Catersels

The work environment has changed significantly in recent years. Technological advancements, a new generation of employees, and the desire of workers to pay more attention to work-life balance are forcing employers to review their policies and employment conditions. It is important to respond to these changes, as modern employment conditions are increasingly becoming a determining factor for talent retention, attracting new employees, productivity, and overall employee engagement. What modern employment conditions can you think of? You can read more about this in this blog series.

Once again, February has been crowned the month of co-determination. Although I can't imagine a day without employee participation, it's wonderful to see that this month brings a lot of attention to it. This year is extra special because the WOR celebrates its diamond jubilee! 75 years ago, the WOR came into existence. A long time ago, and yet time is relative. Employee participation has been part of our society for much longer and still seems to be gaining ground today.

Article 24 of the Works Councils Act (WOR) is often seen as a mandatory meeting that must be 'checked off' biannually. However, this Article 24 offers a golden opportunity for works councils to exert early influence on strategic decision-making and gain a clear understanding of the co-determination issues that can be expected. In practice, however, this meeting is not always utilized as intended: too informal, informal, or even as a one-way street from the director. Time to change that!