It is generally agreed that employee involvement is a key element in effective health and safety management, since employees are in the best position to understand and appreciate the risks and hazards in their own environment. Some advantages include the development of a positive health and safety culture, building trust between employees and management, reducing the number of accidents and work-related illnesses and improving business efficiency. Different approaches to worker involvement have been adopted in the various European Member States. The EU legal framework, which requires employee involvement at work, does not specify any particular model of participation. Thus, it is not surprising that countries have adopted models that are the most suitable in the context of their historical, cultural, political and legal development. The paper considers and analyses the approaches to worker involvement adopted by the EU and UK, providing some examples from other Member States. It also examines the perspectives of this issue by UK employers, employees and regulators.
International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations