There are good business reasons why co-operatives may wish to consider giving employees a voice in their democratic governance, especially where employees are not permitted to be members. To do so improves employees' understanding of the co-operative nature of their employer's business and will increase their dedication and commitment to the success of the enterprise. Employees are key stakeholders who want to contribute to their co-operative and see it succeed. It is therefore important that they have a voice within a co-operative's democratic structures, but critically without that voice being able to dominate the democratic rights of other members and stakeholders.

In multi-stakeholder co-operatives where employees are members, the employee's voice will be heard through their democratic right to participate in elections to the board. Other co-operatives may choose to enable employees' work councils or union branches to elect employee representatives to serve on the board. Alternatively, co-operatives may wish members to retain the power to elect employee representatives, on the 'one member, one vote' principle, from employee candidates wishing to stand for election.

There are no prescriptive mechanisms for ensuring that employees have a voice, but with it a co-operative business will be stronger and more resilient.