Setting Up Works Councils

This chapter discusses how to:

Set up works councils.
(DEU) Set up the German works councils business process.

Setting Up Works Councils

To set up works councils, use the Works Council component (WC_COUNCIL_TBL) and the Job Change by Reg Region component (WC_ACTN_REASON_TBL).

This section provides an overview of the works councils business process and discusses how to:

Define works councils.
Define job changes per regulatory region.

Understanding the Works Councils Business Process

If your organization does business in countries where workers can belong to works councils, define the works councils that your workers can join.

The works councils for your company are internal committees elected by the non-management workers to represent their interests. If your organization does business in countries where workers can belong to works councils, every work location in your company may have a local works council. The company as a whole may have a central works council. The works council’s duties may include:

Watching the implementation of collective bargaining agreements.
Promoting integration of minorities, young, older, and handicapped workers.
Monitoring fair compensation and working hours.
Providing codetermination concerning layoffs, short-time work, and other labor issues.

Pages Used to Set Up Works Councils

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Works Council Table	WC_COUNCIL_TBL	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Workforce Administration, Labor Administration, Works Council, Works Council Table	Specify the works councils to which your workers may belong.
Job Change by Reg Region	WC_ACTN_REASON_TBL	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Workforce Administration, Labor Administration, Job Change by Reg Region, Job Change by Reg Region	Define Job Change actions and reasons per regulatory region. This is the main setup page for configuring works council transactions for job changes that require works council approval.

Defining Works Councils

Access the Works Council Table page.

Works Council ID

The ID you entered to access this page. This is the ID you’ll define.

Posting

Enter the number of days between internal and external posting.

Default Approval After

The Default Approval After date will automatically approve works council relevant job change requests if the works council doesn't react by the date specified. Any worker Job Change approval requests that have not been approved or denied after the specified date will automatically set to Approved by Works Council via an automatic update process and will trigger all workflow associated with Works Council approval.

Spokesperson

Select the ID for the person (or persons) to whom you want to route works council approvals. Any job change request that has been configured for works council approval in the Job Change by Reg Region page can be assigned. The spokesperson(s) will receive any works council hire approval requests for job requisitions that have a works council ID. Enter as many spokesperson IDs as needed.

Linking Works Councils to the Company Location Table

The Company Location page (COMPANY_TABLE1) is used to assign the works council ID to a company location to route works council relevant job change requests to the appropriate works council spokesperson. During approval processing for job actions which require works council approval, the system first checks which works council ID is relevant for the worker’s company and location and then check the Works Council Table to see which spokesperson(s) should be notified.

Defining Job Changes per Regulatory Region

Access the Job Change by Reg Region page.

The Job Change by Reg Region page identifies which combination or regulatory region, action, and action reason may be selected from the Request Job Change - Works Council page. All of the setup information required for a Works Council relevant job change request may be defined here, including which page areas are relevant for which roles, whether a given role may also view current information, and so on. Define which job changes require works council approval before they take place, by regulatory region, action, and action reason.

Note. If you are processing a worker transfer request, you can define whether the current or new manager requests the job change.

Originated by New Manager?	Select this check box to indicate that transfer job change requests will be initiated by the worker's new manager.
Checklist Code	Select a Checklist Code. The Checklist Code refers to a checklist that consists of all to-do items maintained for a single worker or applicant with the specified status and date. You can associate the checklist with a job change here. During the business process the HR person can generate the relevant checklist from the job change request page.

Mandatory Search Criterias

Employee ID, First Name, Last Name, Department, Personnel Status and Birthdate

Select each associated check box for the search criterion that you want to appear on the Job Change Request search page.

Process Participants

Process Participant	Select a Process Participant from the drop down list. Select Current Manager, HR Administrator, New Manager, or Works Council.
*Relevant Information	For each process participant selected, define the relevant information that participant will be able to view in the job change process.
Show Current Info and Show New Info	For each Relevant Information selected, choose whether the process participant will be able to view only the current information, only the new information or both current and new information.

(DEU) Setting Up German Works Councils Business Process

To set up German works councils business process, use the Tariff Area component (TARIFF_AREA) and Speaker Committee DEU component (SPK_COMM_GER).

In addition to the core functionality setup tables, if you’re administering a German workforce, you can use several German setup tables to define codes for labor administration matters that affect your company, such as tariff areas and spokesmen committees.

Rules defining worker labor administration for your German workforce are negotiated between the trade unions and the employers' associations. Additional rules are defined between the workers and their employers through two groups of elected representatives. The works councils represent non-management workers. The spokesmen committee represents management workers. Although the works councils and spokesmen committees are groups of people elected to represent the interests of workers, they aren’t union representation.

Use the codes and information that you set up in these tables to track information about decisions made by the works councils at your operating locations.

Understanding Tariff Areas

A tariff is a contract between the workers' unions and the employers' association, defining labor agreements on issues such as standard working hours, income, and vacation. This contract is valid for all of Germany for the business or industrial sector the company is working in (such as banking or metal). Tariffs are already in the system.

Additional labor agreement terms, such as salary plans or workforce reviews, can also be applied based upon the tariff area. Region or location (such as Bavaria or Berlin) often define the tariff area.

Understanding Spokesperson Committees

The spokesmen committee (sprecherausschuss) represents the interest of the management personnel in your company before the ownership or executive management. The spokesmen committee mainly consults; however, it also helps determine individual employment contracts, hirings, and dismissals. The committee also helps monitor employment fairness, equity, and nondiscrimination in terms of nationality, race, religion, sex, and age.

Pages Used to Define German Labor Administration Codes

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Tariff Area Ger (German tariff area)	TARIFF_AREA_GER	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Workforce Administration, Labor Administration, Tariff Area, Tariff Area Ger	Enter tariff areas for later use on the Job Labor - Germany page (JOB_LABOR). In PeopleSoft Enterprise Human Resources, the tariff areas for the metal tariff are included as system data.
Spokesmen Comm (spokesmen committee)	SPK_COMM_GER	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Workforce Administration, Labor Administration, Speaker Committee DEU, Spokesmen Comm.	Describe the spokesmen committee for your work locations.

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Tariff Area Ger (German tariff area)

TARIFF_AREA_GER

Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Workforce Administration, Labor Administration, Tariff Area, Tariff Area Ger

Enter tariff areas for later use on the Job Labor - Germany page (JOB_LABOR).

In PeopleSoft Enterprise Human Resources, the tariff areas for the metal tariff are included as system data.

Spokesmen Comm (spokesmen committee)

SPK_COMM_GER

Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Workforce Administration, Labor Administration, Speaker Committee DEU, Spokesmen Comm.

Describe the spokesmen committee for your work locations.

Works Council ID	The ID you entered to access this page. This is the ID you’ll define.
Posting	Enter the number of days between internal and external posting.
Default Approval After	The Default Approval After date will automatically approve works council relevant job change requests if the works council doesn't react by the date specified. Any worker Job Change approval requests that have not been approved or denied after the specified date will automatically set to Approved by Works Council via an automatic update process and will trigger all workflow associated with Works Council approval.
Spokesperson	Select the ID for the person (or persons) to whom you want to route works council approvals. Any job change request that has been configured for works council approval in the Job Change by Reg Region page can be assigned. The spokesperson(s) will receive any works council hire approval requests for job requisitions that have a works council ID. Enter as many spokesperson IDs as needed.