Tasks and rights

The Staff Council is involved in various decisions made by the department, particularly in organisational, personnel and social matters. The Staff Council has the following general tasks (Section 64 LPVG NRW):

1. to apply for measures that serve the department, its employees or the promotion of the common good within the framework of the department's task fulfilment,

2. to ensure that the laws, regulations, collective agreements, service agreements and administrative orders applicable in favour of the employees are implemented,

3. to advocate the protection of employees' freedom of association,

4. to pay attention to the prevention of accident and health hazards, to support the bodies responsible for occupational health and safety by providing suggestions, advice and information and to advocate the implementation of health-promoting measures and occupational health and safety,

5. to receive suggestions and complaints from employees and, if they appear justified, to work towards their resolution by negotiating with the department,

6. to promote the integration and professional development of severely disabled employees and other vulnerable persons, in particular older persons,

7. to apply for measures to promote the professional development of severely disabled employees,

8. to participate in the development of the intercultural opening of the administration and to promote the integration of employees with a migration background into the department as well as understanding between employees of different origins,

9. to work closely with the youth and trainee representatives to promote the interests of the employees they represent,

10. to promote the realisation of the fundamental right of equal rights for women and men,

11. to encourage measures that serve to protect the environment in the office.

The Staff Council is involved in the form of

• co-determination
• participation
• consultation
• the right of initiative

"Co-determination of the Staff Council" means that the measure in question may only be implemented with its consent. This is the case for individual personnel measures, such as

• Recruitment of employees, but also for their
• transfers,
• promotions or
• dismissals.

The Staff Council also has a right of co-determination for certain measures that are not regulated by collective agreements, such as rationalisation, technology and organisational matters, measures to prevent accidents at work and other health hazards, working time models or employee appraisal guidelines.

The "participation of the Staff Council" means that the department is obliged to discuss matters with the Staff Council. Examples of this include job advertisements, administrative directives, principles of personnel planning and orders for organisational audits.

Consultation with the Staff Council" refers to the Staff Council's right to express concerns about a measure decided by the department. The department, in turn, is obliged to comment.

By means of the " right of initiative" , the Staff Council can actively submit proposals that are subject to co-determination or participation, e.g. application for the introduction of flexible working hours, continued employment.