Inform and consult your employees

The Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees (TICE) Regulations apply to multinational businesses operating in the European Economic Area. They establish the procedures to set up a European Works Council (EWC) to inform and consult on issues that concern the company as a whole. The EWC is made up of representatives from all European member states in which the company has operations.

European Works Council

To set up an EWC, a request must be made in writing by at least 100 of your employees or their representatives in two or more member states. Alternatively, management can decide to set one up on its own initiative.

A special negotiating body (a body comprised of employee representatives) must be set up to negotiate the terms of the EWC agreement with management. The EWC must be set up in accordance with the 'statutory model', if:

• negotiations do not start within six months of receiving a request, or if the parties fail to reach an agreement within three years following the commencement of negotiations
• you refuse to negotiate within six months of receiving an agreement request, or if you fail to come to an agreement within three years

For more details, see European Works Councils.

You must also inform and consult your employees:

• where you are proposing 20 or more redundancies in a 90-day period
• if you are planning on selling your business or buying a new one
• if you are planning certain changes to an occupational or personal pension scheme

Changes as a result of the UK's exit from the EU

Following the UK's withdrawal from the EU the government has amended the TICE regulations so that:

• no new requests to set up an EWC or Information and Consultation procedure can be made by people employed in the UK
• provisions relevant to the ongoing operation of existing EWCs will remain in force
• requests for information or to establish EWCs or Information and Consultation procedures made but not completed before 1 January 2021 will be allowed to complete