The Works Council Administrative Secretary: Indispensable Link or Underrated Role?
When you talk about works council elections, the conversation quickly turns to candidates, voting systems, and turnout. But who actually ensures the entire process runs smoothly? Often, that is the administrative secretary, yet this role receives surprisingly little attention during elections.
It is time to change that.
What does an administrative secretary actually do during an election?
The administrative secretary is not a member of the works council, but is often the spider in the web. During an election, this becomes especially clear: someone needs to monitor the timeline, keep the regulations at hand, inform candidates about the procedure, and ensure that everything proceeds according to the rules of the Works Councils Act (WOR) and the internal election regulations.
Without that guidance, an election often gets bogged down in practical issues: an incorrect deadline for nominations, confusion about who is eligible to vote, or regulations that no one consults until a dispute arises. The administrative secretary prevents this by getting everything in order beforehand.
Why this role carries more weight than you think
An administrative secretary has often been close to the regulations and the history of the council for years. That knowledge is worth its weight in gold during an election: where did things go wrong last time? What agreements were made in the past regarding, for example, the number of seats or the term of office?
Yet that knowledge is not always utilized. Sometimes because the secretary is reserved; after all, it is the works council's election, not the secretary's. But it is precisely that position on the sidelines that makes it possible to objectively ensure that the procedure remains fair and transparent.
Three points of attention for the administrative secretary during an election
1. Start the timeline on time Organizing an election properly takes more time than most people expect. Nominations, campaign period, voting period, results; plan well in advance and communicate that schedule clearly to everyone involved.
2. Check the regulations, not your memory Regulations sometimes change, or are remembered incorrectly. Read the election regulations thoroughly before the procedure starts, rather than relying on how things were done last time.
3. Be the point of contact, not the decision-maker Candidates and employees often have practical questions: how do I nominate myself, how does voting work, when will the results be known? The administrative secretary is the ideal person for this, as long as the substantive choices remain with the council itself.
Less hassle, more oversight
Many of the practical burdens surrounding an election disappear when the process is set up digitally and clearly. No more keeping track of loose Excel lists, no manual vote counting, but one central place where the administrative secretary can monitor and oversee everything.
That is exactly what ORvox was built for: an election that remains manageable for the administrative secretary and feels as easy for candidates and voters as ordering something online.
Would you like to see how that works? Check out our other blogsfor more practical tips, or book a demo and discover how ORvox can make your next election easier.
