Consulting employees

The law says that employers must consult their workers on health and safety.

Consultation does not mean telling workers about health and safety. It means discussing health and safety with them, allowing them to raise concerns and influence decisions.

You have to consult all workers. In a very small business, you may choose to consult each employee separately. However, most organisations consult staff through their health and safety representatives.

There are two kinds of representative. They can be:

• elected by their colleagues; or
• appointed by a trade union.

Managers must not decide who will represent workers on health and safety.

Our worker involvement pages have more information, including:

• Who to consult and how
• What to consult on
• What the law says

Relevant HSE free leaflets:

• Consulting employees on health and safety: A guide to the law INDG 232 [430kb]