Il saggio è destinato agli atti del Convegno "La regolazione del lavoro oltre il diritto del lavoro” (a cura di G. De Simone e M. Novella, editoriale scientifica, Napoli, 2024), tenutosi a Genova l’1 e 2 dicembre 2023 in occasione del convegno annuale dell’associazione Labour Law Community. Il testo è una rielaborazione della relazione ivi tenuta.

This article explores the concept of participatory enterprise and the significance of worker participation within a company's organizational structure. The paper examines the historical and theoretical aspects of participation, emphasizing its recurrent use as a means of democratizing the enterprise. It scrutinizes the various types of participation and their conceptual evolution over time.
The theoretical debate on the subject in the "short century" is explored, identifying three ideal-typical models of participation and acknowledging positive taxonomic achievements, such as the popular initiative bill proposed by CISL. The article proposes a holistic perspective on participation, considering it as a collaborative process. The article discusses the legal implications of bottom-up participation, including the proposed due diligence directive, suggesting a new perspective for investigating contracts and individual employment relationships.
The legal implications of bottom-up participation, including the proposed due diligence directive, are discussed, suggesting a new perspective for investigating contracts and individual employment relationships. Finally, the article focuses on the emerging concept of collaborative employment contracts, outlining their characteristics and implications within the framework of participatory enterprises.