Workplaces with over 500 employees must have a full-time representative. Councils are elected by the workforce(employees must be over 18 and have been with the firm for 6 months) and although the unions can and do recommend candidates, members of Councils do not have to be union members. The Act applies to all workplaces(with the exception of the public sector which is covered by similar regulations but the establishment of a Works Council is not compulsory and coverage is low in small firms.