For an employee participation system to work, it needs to suit the workplace.

The Act allows the flexibility for employers, employees and unions to agree on a system that works best for their workplace. It does not have to fit any particular structure or formula, as long as it gives employees a reasonable opportunity to have input into health and safety.

Every system must include a process for review, but otherwise it is up to the participants to decide what they want. The types of matters that could be covered are:

• employee involvement in hazard identification, and then in hazard management
• electing employees to act as health and safety representatives
• electing employee members to serve on a health and safety committee
• processes for ensuring regular and co-operative interaction between the employer and employees on health and safety matters generally
• the amount of paid leave that any health and safety representatives will be entitled to
• whether there should be separate health and safety representatives, or health and safety committees, for different workplaces or types of work.

If the employer, employee and any unions have difficulty in developing system, they should seek advice and assistance from other people to help them reach agreement. If they are unable to reach agreement within 6 months, then the Act provides a default employee participation that will apply.

Go to

• Employee participation system
• Functions of health and safety representatives
• Electing health and safety representatives
• Training for health and safety representatives
• Default employee participation system?
• Fact sheet: What is employee participation? pdf file [size: 30KB]
• Fact sheet: Employee participation systems pdf file [size: 31KB]
• Fact sheet: Health and safety representatives pdf file [size: 31KB]