Reorganizations are part of organizations that keep evolving. But for employees, they are often a source of uncertainty. And for works councils (OR)? For them, it’s one of the most intense and defining phases of employee participation.
Because it’s precisely in this period that it becomes visible how much influence you as a Works Council actually have or could have. Not through the formal advice itself, but in the period leading up to it: the questions you ask, the moments you choose to step in, the calm you bring, and the way you shape the relationship with the executive.
In our work with clients, we see that many Works Councils only realize afterwards how much they could have influenced the process. That’s understandable; reorganizations are complex, emotional, and rarely follow the textbook. But that’s exactly why it’s so important to know where your strategic room to maneuver lies.
Below, you’ll find five ways in which works councils can truly help shape reorganizations, both within and beyond the Dutch Works Councils Act (WOR). They’re based on years of experience with Works Councils in a wide range of organizations.
1. First understand the “why”. Without it, you have no influence
A reorganization never really starts with the measures.
It starts with the rationale: why is this necessary?
What ambition, risk, development or necessity is behind it?
What alternatives were considered, and why were they rejected?
It’s a misconception that your influence only starts when you issue your formal advice.
Your influence begins the moment you get the “why” crystal clear and challenge the executive to do the same.
Because if the executive cannot explain it clearly, that’s not just “unfortunate”. It’s a signal. A weak rationale almost always leads to issues in implementation, resistance in the organization, or old patterns being carried into a new structure. Works CouncilsORs that clarify this early on provide enormous value to the organization.
Practical tips
- Ask for the full business case, including alternatives and assumptions.
- Summarize the rationale in one clear sentence and check with the executive: “Is this the core?”
- Keep asking questions until you truly understand the “why” — not just rationally, but also strategically
Reflection question
Do we as a Works Council really understand why this reorganization is needed, or are we filling in too many blanks ourselves?
2. Look beyond the numbers, reorganizations are always about people
Reorganizations are often presented in numbers: FTEs, efficiency, costs, benefits, targets. But behind every number there’s a person, a team, a relationship, a history.
Many of the issues we see in organizations years after a reorganization don’t stem from fundamentally wrong decisions, but from too little attention to the human impact.
For example: we recently supported a Works Council in a large organization where trust in leadership had been remarkably low for years. When we traced it back to the source, it turned out this distrust began during a reorganization ten years earlier. The people who stayed — the “survivors” — had been largely overlooked in the process. Their tension, frustration and uncertainty became baked into the culture and were simply adopted by new employees.
This illustrates: a reorganization doesn’t just affect the people who leave, but just as much the people who stay. Their energy, motivation and sense of safety ultimately determine whether the new organization will actually work.
Practical tips
- Ask about the impact on workload, culture and collaboration.
- Check whether teams are given support to process and adapt to the changes.
- Ask how the organization deals with uncertainty and what it does to prevent unnecessary feelings of insecurity.
Reflection question
Do we as a Works Council have a clear enough picture of what this reorganization does to the people who will keep the organization running afterward?
3. Safeguard time and care, you jointly set the pace
Executives want speed.
Employees want clarity.
But the Works Council must safeguard something else: careful decision-making.
The WOR states that the Works Council must be asked for advice before the decision is implemented, but it says nothing about how much time that process may take. That means you are allowed to help set the pace. And that is not a luxury, it’s a responsibility.
Reorganizations rarely fail because a Works Council was too careful.
They do fail because the process went too fast, conversations were too shallow, and employees’ concerns were not addressed.
Practical tips
- Agree on the process at the outset: timeline, information needs, and consultation moments.
- Record these agreements so expectations are clear.
- Communicate to employees how you are safeguarding the process: that creates calm and trust.
Reflection question
Are we letting ourselves be driven by the executive’s time pressure, or are we creating the space needed for a well-supported decision?
4. Influence comes through dialogue
The advice letter is the end product, not the moment of influence.
Real influence is built in the conversations leading up to it.
In most reorganizations where we support Works Councils, the biggest change doesn’t come from a formal recommendation in the letter, but from a good conversation, a sharp question, or a moment when the Works Council dares to say: “From our perspective, something doesn’t add up here.”
Works Councils that join the discussion early aren’t a brake on progress.
They become a strategic sparring partner, helping the executive make better choices at a more fundamental level. And that is exactly where a Works Council can make a real difference.
Practical tips
- Ask exploratory questions before decisions are finalized.
- Organize informal sessions with the executive and HR to think things through together.
- Evaluate each reorganization afterward, both as a Works Council and together with the executive.
Reflection question
Are we actively seeking the dialogue, or are we mainly reacting to what is handed to us?
5. Communicate openly and honestly, your key to trust
In times of reorganization, employees mainly want to know three things:
What is happening? Why is it happening? And what does it mean for me?
In this phase, the Works Council can make more difference to trust than almost any other actor. Not by having all the answers (because often they simply aren’t there yet) but by being present, visible and honest. By asking questions, picking up signals, and clearly communicating what you do and do not know.
In our work, we see that high-impact works councils communicate actively and consistently. They share short, regular updates through different channels. They organize walk-in sessions when a lot is changing. And they consciously go out to meet employees: in team meetings, in informal conversations or simply at the coffee machine.
It’s precisely that visible, human contact that makes a reorganization more understandable and more bearable.
Practical tips
- Provide short, regular updates to employees.
- Explain which questions you are asking and what you are hearing.
- Stay approachable: trust is built through contact, not through documents.
Reflection question
Are we as a Works Council truly visible in this phase, or are we mainly busy behind the scenes?
Influence is not a formal role, but a relationship
A reorganization is not just a legal procedure under the WOR.
It is an intense human process for everyone involved.
At CouncilWorks, we see every day that effective employee participation doesn’t start with rules, but with relationships: with the executive, with HR, with employees and within the Works Council itself. A Works Council that thinks along early, asks careful questions and communicates well, helps make decisions better, clearer and more humane.
And that is exactly what organizations need in times of change.
The five keys to real influence
- Understand
the rationale.
2. Look beyond numbers and structures.
3. Safeguard time and careful decision-making.
4. Build influence through dialogue.
5. Communicate openly and in a timely way.
Do you have a planned reorganization?
We support works councils in maintaining influence, control and trust, both within and beyond the formal advisory process. Do you have a reorganization coming up, or would you like to brainstorm together about your situation? We’d be happy to think it through with you. Feel free to reach out for an introductory conversation.