Staff councils/works councils are a mandated for public offices by respective federal and state laws – in case of the Heinrich Heine University, by the State Staff Representation Act (Landespersonalvertretungsgesetz - LPVG). The main role of staff councils is defined in Section 2 Para 1 of the LPVG as follows:

• "The public office and the staff representation shall work together in a spirit of trust within the framework of the law and collective agreements, in order to perform their duties and for the benefit of the employees; in doing so, they shall cooperate with trade unions and employers' associations that are represented in the public office."