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We have fewer than 50 employees and no works council. Do we have to arrange employee participation for an AI tool?

A works council is mandatory from, as a rule, 50 persons employed. With 10 to 50 persons and no works council or staff representation body, you hold a staff meeting at least twice a year and let the staff give advice on decisions that lead to a significant change for at least a quarter of them. A staff representation body has no consent right over personnel data or monitoring systems by operation of law.

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When a works council is mandatory

An employer with an enterprise in which, as a rule, at least 50 persons work must set up a works council [1].

Between 10 and 50 persons

Without a works council or staff representation body, you must give the staff the opportunity to meet with you at least twice a year [2]. In that meeting the staff can give advice on any proposed decision that may lead to loss of work or to a significant change in the work, the terms of employment or the working conditions of at least a quarter of the persons employed [3].

A staff representation body

You can set up a staff representation body [4]. Of the consent topics of Article 27, only the working and rest hours scheme [5], working conditions, sickness absence and reintegration [6], and the whistleblower procedure [7] apply to it by operation of law; the parts on personnel data (k) and monitoring systems (l) are not among them [8]. Additional powers can, however, be granted by written agreement [9].

From 2027, inform even without a works council

From 2 December 2027, the AI Act requires you, for a high-risk system in the workplace, to inform the workers' representatives and also the workers concerned themselves in advance [10] [11].

What Trusq bases this on

These released rules are in Trusq and are read again with every publication; if a rule changes, this page changes with it.

  • Workers and their representatives informed AI Act 26

Sources

  1. [1] WOR Art. 2(1) (Dutch Works Councils Act (WOR); Dutch law, unofficial translation). An employer with an enterprise in which, as a rule, at least 50 persons work must set up a works council. Original Dutch text:
    De ondernemer die een onderneming in stand houdt waarin in de regel ten minste 50 personen werkzaam zijn, is in het belang van het goed functioneren van die onderneming in al haar doelstellingen verplicht om ten behoeve van het overleg met en de vertegenwoordiging van de in de onderneming werkzame personen een ondernemingsraad in te stellen
    Source, retrieved on 2 October 2026.
  2. [2] WOR Art. 35b(1) (Dutch Works Councils Act (WOR); Dutch law, unofficial translation). With 10 to 50 persons employed and no works council or staff representation body, the employer must make a staff meeting possible at least twice a year. Original Dutch text:
    De ondernemer die een onderneming in stand houdt waarin in de regel ten minste 10 personen maar minder dan 50 personen werkzaam zijn en waarvoor geen ondernemingsraad of een personeelsvertegenwoordiging is ingesteld, is verplicht de in deze onderneming werkzame personen tenminste tweemaal per kalenderjaar in de gelegenheid te stellen gezamenlijk met hem bijeen te komen.
    Source, retrieved on 2 October 2026.
  3. [3] WOR Art. 35b(5) (Dutch Works Councils Act (WOR); Dutch law, unofficial translation). In that meeting the staff can give advice on decisions that may lead to a significant change in the work, the terms of employment or the working conditions of at least a quarter of the persons employed. Original Dutch text:
    De in de onderneming werkzame personen worden door de ondernemer, in een vergadering als bedoeld in het eerste lid, in de gelegenheid gesteld advies uit te brengen over elk door hem voorgenomen besluit dat kan leiden tot verlies van de arbeidsplaats of tot een belangrijke verandering van de arbeid, de arbeidsvoorwaarden of de arbeidsomstandigheden van tenminste een vierde van de in de onderneming werkzame personen.
    Source, retrieved on 2 October 2026.
  4. [4] WOR Art. 35c(1) (Dutch Works Councils Act (WOR); Dutch law, unofficial translation). With 10 to 50 persons employed and no works council, the employer can set up a staff representation body. Original Dutch text:
    De ondernemer die een onderneming in stand houdt waarin in de regel ten minste 10 personen maar minder dan 50 personen werkzaam zijn en waarvoor geen ondernemingsraad is ingesteld, kan een personeelsvertegenwoordiging instellen,
    Source, retrieved on 2 October 2026.
  5. [5] WOR Art. 27(1)(b) (Dutch Works Councils Act (WOR); Dutch law, unofficial translation). Point (b) concerns a scheme on working and rest hours or a holiday scheme. Original Dutch text:
    b. een arbeids- en rusttijdenregeling of een vakantieregeling;
    Source, retrieved on 2 October 2026.
  6. [6] WOR Art. 27(1)(d) (Dutch Works Councils Act (WOR); Dutch law, unofficial translation). Point (d) concerns schemes on working conditions, sickness absence or reintegration. Original Dutch text:
    d. een regeling op het gebied van de arbeidsomstandigheden, het ziekteverzuim of het reintegratiebeleid;
    Source, retrieved on 2 October 2026.
  7. [7] WOR Art. 27(1)(m) (Dutch Works Councils Act (WOR); Dutch law, unofficial translation). Point (m) concerns the procedure for reporting a suspected wrongdoing (whistleblowers). Original Dutch text:
    m. een procedure voor het omgaan met het melden van een vermoeden van een misstand, als bedoeld in artikel 2, eerste lid, van de Wet bescherming klokkenluiders;
    Source, retrieved on 2 October 2026.
  8. [8] WOR Art. 35c(3), second sentence (Dutch Works Councils Act (WOR); Dutch law, unofficial translation). Of the consent topics of Article 27, only point (b) (as far as working and rest hours are concerned), (d) and (m) apply to a staff representation body by operation of law; Article 32 (additional powers by agreement) applies mutatis mutandis. Original Dutch text:
    De artikelen 7, 13, 17, 18, eerste en tweede lid, 21, 22, eerste lid, tweede lid, voor zover het betreft de kosten van het voeren van rechtsgedingen, derde en vierde lid, 22a, 27, eerste lid, onderdeel b, voor zover het betreft een arbeids- en rusttijdenregeling, en onderdelen d en m, derde tot en met zesde lid, 31, eerste lid, 32, 35b, vierde en vijfde lid, behoudens de in dat lid bedoelde arbeidsomstandigheden, en zevende lid, en 36 zijn van overeenkomstige toepassing.
    Source, retrieved on 2 October 2026.
  9. [9] WOR Art. 32(2) (Dutch Works Councils Act (WOR); Dutch law, unofficial translation). By written agreement, more powers can be granted than the act mentions. Original Dutch text:
    Bij schriftelijke overeenkomst tussen de ondernemer en de ondernemingsraad kunnen aan de ondernemingsraad meer bevoegdheden dan de in deze wet genoemde worden toegekend
    Source, retrieved on 2 October 2026.
  10. [10] AI Act Art. 26(7) (AI Act, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689). An employer that is about to use a high-risk system in the workplace informs the workers' representatives and the workers concerned in advance, in accordance with the rules and practice on informing workers.
    Before putting into service or using a high-risk AI system at the workplace, deployers who are employers shall inform workers’ representatives and the affected workers that they will be subject to the use of the high-risk AI system. This information shall be provided, where applicable, in accordance with the rules and procedures laid down in Union and national law and practice on information of workers and their representatives.
    Source, retrieved on 2 October 2026.
  11. [11] Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 Art. 1(40)(b) (replaces AI Act Art. 113, third paragraph, point (c)) (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI)). The high-risk rules (Chapter III, Sections 1 to 3) apply to Annex III systems from 2 December 2027.
    Chapter III, Sections 1, 2, and 3, with the exception of Article 6(5), shall apply from: (i) 2 December 2027 as regards AI systems classified as high-risk pursuant to Article 6(2) and Annex III; and
    Source, retrieved on 2 October 2026.

Related questions

Does our works council have a right of consent if we introduce an AI tool for HR?Do we have to inform employees and their representatives before we use a high-risk AI system?What do we, as an SME, have to arrange now if we use AI in HR?

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This page gives general information based on the text of the law. It is not legal advice for your situation.