What is co-determination – and why does it create better jobs?
Many people think co-determination is just about being heard, but it actually creates concrete benefits for the entire business. As a NITO member, you have the right to influence decisions that affect you – from appointments to reorganisations. Here you will learn what your rights entail and how to use them in practice.
What is co-determination?
Co-determination means that employees have the right to influence decisions that affect them in the workplace. This is not the same as employees managing the business. The employer still has the right to manage and the overall responsibility for running the company.
The employer has the right to manage the business, hire and organise the work. This is called the employer's management prerogative. But this managerial prerogative is limited by employment contracts, laws and collective agreements. Employees therefore have the right to co-determination in matters that affect their working conditions.
Co-determination takes place through union representatives and safety representatives, and is regulated by collective agreements and legislation. If you do not have a company group and union representative, you may miss out on important opportunities to influence.
In practice, co-determination means that you as an employee must receive information about changes that affect you, the opportunity to provide input before decisions are made, and in some cases participate in negotiations on solutions through the employee representatives.
Eight reasons why co-determination creates better jobs
Co-determination is about having real influence in the workplace. This creates benefits for both employees and the business:
- Better decisions - Employee knowledge and perspectives improve the basis for decision-making. Those who carry out the work on a daily basis often have valuable insights that management does not have.
- Common understanding of reality - Dialogue between the parties creates a better understanding of challenges and opportunities. This reduces misunderstandings and conflicts.
- Better communication and collaborative climate - Openness and trust are strengthened when employees feel that their voice is heard and respected.
- Increased commitment and motivation - Employees who get to influence their work situation perform more and take greater responsibility for the result.
- Strengthened loyalty and identity - When employees feel that they can influence the workplace, they feel a greater sense of belonging to the organization.
- Increased implementation ability - Decisions that employees have helped shape become easier to implement because they have ownership of the solution.
- Fewer conflicts - Constructive handling of disagreements before problems escalate saves time and resources for all parties.
- Increased integrity - Employees can influence so that decisions are in line with their values and professional assessments, which reduces stress of conscience.
Research from the Work Research Institute shows that co-determination helps reduce conflicts and increase integrity in the workplace. Read more about co-determination, conflict and integrity (oslomet.no).
Forms of co-determination
Co-determination is exercised in three main ways, depending on how much influence employees are to have.
Three levels of impact
- Information: The employer informs union representatives of planned decisions. This gives employees the opportunity to prepare and understand the background for changes.
- Discussion: The employee representatives provide input and advice before the employer makes the final decision. The employer is not obliged to follow the advice, but must consider it seriously.
- Negotiation: The parties negotiate as equals and reach a joint solution. This typically takes place in wage negotiations and other issues regulated in the collective agreements.
The form of co-determination that applies depends on what the case is about and what is agreed in the collective agreement at your workplace.
Concrete examples of co-determination
The rule of thumb is that there is co-determination in matters that affect the employees' work situation. If you believe that something is affecting the employees' working conditions, you can ask to raise the matter with management.
Typical areas where you have co-determination rights:
- Appointments and staffing issues - Information about new positions and discussion of the use of part-time, temporary and temporary employment. For civil servants, separate rules apply in the Civil Service Act.
- Restructuring and downsizing - Union representatives have a central role when the company is to be reorganized or reduce the number of employees. Extensive information and discussion rights apply here.
- Control measures and monitoring - The introduction of new systems to monitor or control employees' work must be discussed with union representatives before implementation.
- Working time arrangements - Changes in shifts, flexitime, overtime arrangements or other working time rules require co-determination.
In the event of long-term sick leave , employees can choose to have a union representative present at discussion meetings with the employer. This ensures that the employee's rights are safeguarded.
Business transfers, where the company changes owners, have a major impact on employees and require extensive information and discussion with employee representatives.
Legislation and agreements
Your rights to co-determination are rooted in legislation and collective agreements. The Working Environment Act provides fundamental rights, while collective agreements often extend these rights considerably.
The Working Environment Act
Section 4-2 (lovdata.no) of the Working Environment Act gives employees the right to information and participation in matters that concern them. For enterprises with 50 or more employees, Chapter 8 (lovdata.no) of the Working Environment Act applies , which requires discussion with employee representatives before important decisions are made.
Collective agreements
Collective agreements often provide for more extensive co-determination rights than what follows from the law. Your rights depend on which collective agreement applies at your workplace.
What is a collective agreement?
Private sector
In the main agreements NITO has with the employers' organisations NHO and Virke, there are important provisions on co-determination in Chapter VIII Information, cooperation and co-determination (NHO). The same applies to Virke.
Municipality
The main agreement between NITO and KS covers most municipal workplaces, with the exception of the City of Oslo. There are important provisions on co-determination in Part B, Sections 1 and 3. At the same time, you will find provisions on negotiation rights and rules for handling conflicts in Part A, Sections 4 and 5.
Samfunnsbedriftene is also included in the main agreement between NITO and KS, but under part C. not part B like other municipal employees. The relevant provisions on co-determination are found in Part C, Sections 1, 3 and 4.
The City of Oslo is covered by its own main agreement called document 24. The relevant provisions on co-determination are contained in the agreement on co-influence/co-determination.
Spectrum
In the main agreement between SAN and spectrum, you will find the key provisions regarding co-determination in Part II, Chapter VII - Information, cooperation and co-determination.
Some workplaces also have their own local regulations in Part B. Union representatives can check the local B-part collective agreements here.
State
In the main agreement, many of the objects clauses are relevant to co-determination and cooperation, while the whole of part 1 is dedicated to co-determination. Chapter 4 also discusses the various forms of co-determination.
In the Basic Collective Agreement, you will find Chapter 5.3 , which contains relevant provisions for state employees who wish to influence their workplace.
Get started with co-determination
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Frequently asked questions about co-determination
Hva er forskjellen på medbestemmelse og medvirkning?
Medvirkning refererer spesifikt til arbeidsmiljøloven § 4-2 (lovdata.no) og handler om ansattes rett til å delta i utformingen av egen arbeidssituasjon. Medbestemmelse er et bredere begrep som omfatter alle former for påvirkning ansatte har på arbeidsplassen, som rettighetene du har som følge av tariffavtale.
Kan ledelsen overse tillitsvalgtes innspill?
Ved informasjon og drøfting kan arbeidsgiveren ta beslutninger selv, men skal vurdere innspillene seriøst. Ved forhandlinger må partene komme frem til en felles løsning. Hvis medbestemmelsesrettigheter ikke respekteres, kan saken bringes videre i systemet.
Gjelder medbestemmelse også i små bedrifter?
Ja, men omfanget kan variere. Arbeidsmiljølovens krav om drøfting gjelder kun virksomheter med 50+ ansatte, men grunnleggende informasjons- og medvirkningsrettigheter gjelder alle. Tariffavtaler gir utvidede rettigheter uavhengig av bedriftsstørrelse.
Hvordan etablerer vi en bedriftsgruppe på arbeidsplassen?
Kontakt NITO for veiledning. Dere trenger normalt minst tre medlemmer for å etablere en bedriftsgruppe. NITO hjelper med prosessen og gir opplæring til tillitsvalgte.
Hva gjør jeg hvis vi ikke har tillitsvalgt?
Du kan kontakte NITO direkte for råd og veiledning. NITO kan også hjelpe med å etablere tillitsvalgtordning på arbeidsplassen hvis det er interesse for det blant medlemmene.
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