In-depht analysis by Att. Stefano Trifirò
Law No. 76 of 2025 represents a historic turning point in Italian labor law. Why? Because, after almost eighty years of silence, it finally gives concrete effect to a principle enshrined in our Constitution, in Article 46, which recognizes workers’ right to participate in the management of companies. A principle that, for decades, remained a dead letter.
This law was born out of a popular initiative, promoted by the CISL, and marks a paradigm shift: the company is no longer only the “property” of the entrepreneur, but becomes a community in which labor and capital engage in dialogue, share objectives and responsibilities. Participation and sustainability are the key words.
But what does participation concretely mean? The law provides for four different models. There is managerial participation, which allows workers to enter decision-making bodies, for instance boards of directors. Then there is economic and financial participation, enabling profit-sharing through performance bonuses, employee shareholding, and profit distribution. There is organizational participation, concerning the daily life of the company: working hours, shifts, safety, technological innovation. Finally, there is consultative participation, lighter but more widespread, based on regular information and dialogue with workers before key decisions are made.
These instruments do not impose a single model, but open up a range of possibilities. Companies that choose the path of participation gain a competitive advantage: they improve the internal climate, increase trust, reduce conflicts, and become more attractive not only to workers but also to investors.
The real innovation, however, lies in a new concept of remuneration. We no longer speak only of a paycheck as consideration for work performed, but of pay as a tool for corporate culture, inclusion, and sustainability. In other words: wages can be linked not only to economic results but also to environmental and social parameters.
Let me give you some examples. A company may grant bonuses to employees if it reduces polluting emissions, promotes gender equality, encourages sustainable mobility, or improves organizational well-being. These parameters, the so-called ESG criteria, are no longer slogans but become concrete and measurable standards, certifiable, capable of being integrated into company dashboards and collective agreements.
Of course, for this to work, transparency, clear rules, and objective indicators are needed. But the principle is revolutionary: wages are no longer just an expense item; they become an index of social responsibility.
Alongside this, corporate welfare remains a central tool. We are not talking only about economic benefits, but about a model of widespread participation that includes continuous training, work–life balance policies, sustainability programs, and even corporate volunteering initiatives. Welfare is not a cost, it is an investment, because it increases motivation, reduces turnover, and makes the company more resilient.
In conclusion, with Law 76/2025, participation and remuneration are no longer two separate worlds. They merge into a single paradigm in which the worker is not merely an executor but a protagonist, and pay is not merely a wage but recognition of value, belonging, and future.
This is the challenge of a true economic democracy, which calls on us to show courage, responsibility, and above all the ability to think of the company as a community.
