Speaking English in a Dutch Works Council: lost in translation?
For many international employees in the Netherlands, joining a works council feels like stepping into a distinctly Dutch universe.
You may be fluent in English. You may work in an international company where English is the official business language. Meetings run in English, documents are written in English, and daily operations feel fully accessible. And yet, the moment the Works Councils Act — the WOR — enters the discussion, things become more complicated than expected.
Cultural differences
In many countries, employee representation is closely associated with trade unions: negotiation, collective bargaining, clear lines between labour and management. The Dutch works council (ondernemingsraad) does not really fit into that picture. It is a statutory body embedded within the organization, elected by employees and protected by law, but it does not negotiate collective labour agreements. It is independent from management yet structurally involved in decision-making processes.
For non-Dutch members, that hybrid position can be difficult to interpret. Are we cooperating with management, or are we supposed to challenge it? Why does management formally request our advice? And why is everyone treating that request as a procedural milestone rather than a courtesy? The answer lies in the legal design of the system. The works council operates through structured dialogue backed by statutory rights. It is neither symbolic nor adversarial by default; it is procedural.
Lost in translation
This is where translation starts to fall short. The Works Councils Act can be translated into English, but understanding does not automatically follow. Take two key concepts: the right to render advice (adviesrecht) and the right of endorsement (instemmingsrecht). In English, they appear similar. In practice, they are distinct legal instruments with different consequences.
Advice must be requested at a stage when it can still influence the decision. If management does not ask the Works Councils advice on major issues such as reorganizations or mergers, the Works Council can appeal to court as the procedure is not followed.
Endorsement functions differently. For certain topics — working time regulations, performance systems, training policies — implementation is simply not possible without the Council’s approval, and when the council does not endorse the decision, only the courts can replace that endorsement.
Reading between the legal lines
Even in highly international organizations, documentation often remains partly in Dutch. Formal advisory letters, legal correspondence, and references to specific articles of the WOR tend to rely on Dutch phrasing. During meetings, conversations move quickly between strategic considerations, financial analysis, organizational impact and statutory obligations. For non-Dutch speakers, this creates a layered challenge: following the business argument, interpreting legal nuance, and assessing cultural tone simultaneously.
Add to that the Dutch style of consultation. Governance culture in the Netherlands values directness combined with consensus-building. Proposals are examined carefully, sometimes line by line. For someone from a more hierarchical culture, this may feel unexpectedly bold. For someone used to more adversarial labour relations, it may feel surprisingly cooperative. Until you understand that this structured scrutiny is precisely how the model is designed to function, it can be difficult to judge when to intervene and how strongly.
As a result, international members often misjudge the works council’s power. Some assume it negotiates salaries directly. Others believe it merely provides non-binding advice. In reality, its influence is defined and conditional. Strategic decisions typically fall under right to render advice; many HR-related policies fall under right of endorsement. The power is neither absolute nor symbolic. It is embedded in procedure.
Learning to speak WOR
This is why language alone is never enough. Effective participation requires context. Targeted training about the Works Councils Act clarifies where advice and endorsement apply and what they mean in practice. Practical guidance on reading legal documents and understanding procedural steps builds confidence.
For international members, such training does more than transfer knowledge. It bridges the gap between speaking English and understanding ‘’medezeggenschap’’, employee participation. And for works councils operating in increasingly international organizations, that investment is essential for ensuring that participation is informed, confident and genuinely effective. With the growing number of international companies and English-speaking Works Councils in the Netherlands, TRAINIAC has four trainers within their team who provide English training sessions on various topics related to the Works Council Act, labour law, team building and much more.
Interested in an English training? Check our site or reach out to us via info@trainiac.nl.
Anne de Wal ~ Trainer & Advisor Employee participation @ TRAINIAC
TRAINIAC is specialized in custom-tailored works council training, consulting, and coaching programs, increasing the value of works councils. Interested in learning what we can do for your works council? Please contact us.