Does your Works Council communicate independently?
Anyone communicating via company email, Microsoft Teams, or SharePoint is not truly working independently, as the IT department ultimately answers to the board. Under Article 17 of the Dutch Works Councils Act (WOR), your Works Council is legally entitled to its own independent facilities. Databeamer provides your Works Council with a private, fully encrypted workspace completely outside the reach of the employer or IT department. You manage this entirely within your own budget, without requiring permission or technical assistance from executive management. Secure, independent, and instantly compliant with both the WOR and the GDPR.
Interested? Book a demoJust one secure Works Council environment
Sounds familiar as a Works Council member? To protect confidentiality, you consciously avoid company IT systems. As a result, you resort to informal channels like WhatsApp, private email, and Google Drive. Sensitive documents from the board end up in personal inboxes. Information gets scattered, collaborating with external advisors becomes difficult, and if a decision is legally challenged later on, a watertight audit trail is missing.
Databeamer brings everything together in a single, user-friendly, and highly secure environment. Receive requests for advice via a secure link, chat using end-to-end encryption with fellow council members, and offer employees a completely anonymous digital reporting channel. This keeps the Works Council in control and gives you peace of mind.
Independent and with integrity
A flawed digital structure or communicating through the board's IT systems brings major risks for the Works Council:
Breach of confidentiality (Article 20 WOR)
Works Council members are legally bound to confidentiality regarding sensitive documents. Having restricted files scattered across private inboxes or unsecured USB sticks leads to a direct violation of the law.
Loss of trust
Employees often prefer to share their concerns with the Works Council before turning to official channels. Without secure systems outside the board’s view, you risk losing this crucial trust instantly.
Loss of legal evidence during disputes
Should an advisory or consent procedure be challenged in court later on? Without a digitally sealed audit log, it is legally impossible to prove exactly how the process was handled.
GDPR fines when handling employee feedback
As soon as the Works Council processes feedback or complaints from employees, you are legally considered a data controller. Discussing privacy-sensitive data via WhatsApp or private email violates the GDPR and risks sanctions.