Evaluation of the Works Council Modernisation Act (BRModG).

In order to adapt employee representation within German companies to changes in the world of work and to counteract the decline in the prevalence of works councils, the Works Council Modernisation Act (BRModG) came into force in 2021. With this Act, the legislator aims to facilitate the establishment and operation of works councils, strengthen existing safeguards, adapt co-determination rights to the digitalised world of work, and enhance the powers of works councils in relation to vocational training.

The statutory evaluation of the BRModG is conducted in cooperation with the IAQ Institute for Work and Qualification. It focuses on both the implementation and the effects of the BRModG. A focus is on the question to which extent the changes introduced by the Act have contributed to strengthening co-determination at the workplace. In addition, the study examines which factors facilitate or hinder implementation, what side effects arise, and whether, from the perspective of the stakeholders involved, there is a need for further legislative amendments.

The study is based on a mixed-methods design and draws primarily on qualitative interviews with representatives of works councils and companies, as well as various experts at industry or national level. In addition, quantitative analyses are carried out using data from the IAB Establishment Panel to provide a representative picture of overall trends in employee representation.