How Works Council Elections Work 

Works councils (Betriebsrat) are the legally established representation of employees in Germany. They are elected in a formal democratic process defined by the Works Constitution Act (BetrVG) and the Works Council Election Regulations (WO).

This page provides a short, neutral overview of how works council elections work.
 

Who can vote?

In general, all employees of the establishment who meet the legal eligibility criteria are entitled to vote. Voting rights typically apply regardless of nationality and include employees working on-site, hybrid, or remote, as long as they are part of the establishment.

The election is conducted as a secret ballot.
 

Who can run for election?

Employees who meet the legal eligibility criteria can run as candidates. Candidates may run as part of a list or, depending on the election type, as individual candidates.

In larger companies, elections are typically conducted as list elections (Listenwahl).

What is a list election (Listenwahl)?

In a list election, employees vote for a list of candidates rather than voting for individual candidates only.

Each list represents a group of employees who run together with a shared approach and priorities.

Seats in the works council are allocated based on the election result using proportional representation. This means that lists receive seats in proportion to the number of votes they receive.
 

How are seats allocated?

Once voting has concluded, the Electoral Board counts the votes. Seats are then distributed across lists according to the proportional method defined in the election rules.

Candidates on each list receive seats based on their position and the number of seats allocated to that list.
 

What happens after the election?

After the election results are confirmed, the newly elected works council holds a constituting meeting (konstituierende Sitzung). During this meeting, the works council typically elects:

• the Works Council Chairperson (Vorsitz)
• the Vice Chairperson
• and may establish committees depending on the size of the works council

The works council then begins its term of office.
 

Why participation matters

Works councils exist to ensure that employee representation is democratic, legitimate, and accountable. Participation in elections strengthens that mandate and ensures that the works council reflects the workforce it represents.

Further information

This page is intended as a brief overview. More detailed information can be found through official legal sources and Electoral Board communications once the election process formally begins.