«Oasis of Well-Being or Master of Legal Loopholes?» This contentious question was the focus of the Working Group on Family Businesses, which convened on 4 April, 2025. The meeting, held at the premises of Messer SE & Co. KGaA in Bad Soden, fostered an intensive exchange on codetermination and workplace conflicts within family-owned enterprises.

At the center of the discussion was the question of why codetermination in family businesses so often assumes an especially ambivalent role—oscillating between promises of paternalistic care, the avoidance of conflict, and the strategic circumvention of legal requirements. The presentations ranged from historical case studies to current developments and legal gray areas, illustrating how deeply rooted and simultaneously contested codetermination is in this particular corporate field.

KOLJA HOSCH (Messer SE & Co. KGaA) opened the session by analyzing the current situation of German industry, marked by uncertainty and symptoms of crisis, and outlined the implications of structural change and generational shifts within the chemical sector for works council activities. DANIEL HAY (Hans Böckler Foundation) presented the latest research findings on contemporary trends in workplace codetermination, while BENJAMIN PFANNES and LARS HENRIK HOLLMANN introduced two historical case studies—the logistics company J.F. Hillebrand and the media group Burda—each illustrating distinct strategies for conflict resolution..