According to the Lower Saxony Staff Representation Act (NPersVG), all elected staff council members are obliged to attend meetings. If they are absent, they can be represented by substitute members. Minutes must be taken of each meeting.

The Staff Council has a quorum if more than half of its members are present. In order to approve a motion, the active consent of the majority of the Staff Council members present is required. If half or more vote against or abstain, the motion is deemed to have been rejected.

According to the law, staff council meetings must be held in camera. Staff Council members are subject to a duty of confidentiality towards third parties with regard to personal data. The Staff Council provides information about its work at staff meetings, in its publications and on its electronic platforms.

In order to implement a measure that is subject to co-determination, the department and Staff Council must reach an agreement. If the Staff Council rejects an application subject to co-determination, a non-agreement procedure is initiated. Here, the Staff Council negotiates with the Presidium. If no agreement is reached, the matter must be submitted to the conciliation committee at the Ministry of Science and Culture.

The Staff Council can also reject applications submitted on topics that are subject to consultation. If the department does not follow the reasons for rejection, the Staff Council can present its position again to the Presidium. This will then make the final decision.

The Staff Council can submit requests to the department for matters from the co-determination catalog. This does not apply to issues in which the employees concerned are entitled to take legal action themselves, e.g. in the case of job classifications. A decision on the Staff Council's own-initiative motions follows the co-determination procedure.

The Staff Council can form an economic committee to discuss economic matters with the department. Here, the employer must answer questions on various topics (from investment planning to operational environmental protection). The staff council members on the economic committee then inform the full committee.