Labour Inspection Structure and Organization

Name of institution that manages work issues

The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family is the competent authority responsible, among other things for labour law relations, occupational safety and health protection, labour inspection, employment strategy and labour market policy, state social benefits and social services.

Department(s) responsible for Labour Inspection

The National Labour Inspectorate (NLI) is part of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family and supervises and verifies whether labour protection requirements are met. The NLI enforces both safety and health issues as well as general working conditions, although different inspectors are appointed to each area of supervision (www.safework.gov.sk/?site_lang=en&t=44&s=0&id_fi=).

Law that covers organization and functional composition

• Act No. 125/2006 on labour inspection as amended
• Act No. 341/2011 consolidated version of the Act No. 311/2001, Labour Code
• Occupational Safety and Health Protection Act

Scope of labour inspection

Labour inspectors are responsible for the enforcement of labour laws and regulations, occupational safety and health protection including regulations regulating working environment factors, as well as collective bargaining agreements. The law also provides that labour inspectors are responsible for overseeing the application of regulations covering the ban on illegal work and illegal employment.

Local divisions

The NLI is located in Košice, and there are regional offices in 8 other cities (Bystrica, Bratislav, Košice, Nitra, Prešov, Trenčín, Trnava, and Žilina).

Programming and communication

The NLI supervises the operations and activities of different bodies and offices overseeing the application of legislation. The NLI develops national action plans based on an analytical evaluation of information in matters of labour protection taking into account proposals of the labour inspectorates and also relevant bodies of the EU.

Human Resources and career development

Permanency of inspectors

Labour inspectors are civil servants, although they can be employed as temporary or permanent civil servants.

Selection process

Labour inspectors are required to pass a written and oral examination before a committee, as well as complete theoretical and practical training before becoming inspectors.

Background required

All labour inspectors are university graduates.

Visits and functions

Types of visits

Labour inspectors perform both reactive and proactive inspections.

Role of preventive measures

Labour inspectors hold regular seminars free of charge for employers to explain the legislation and to provide guidance on how to avoid common violations. They also promote respect for occupational safety and health standards through mass media, including interviews on the radio, TV, articles in regional publications and through social media. The NLI has also developed good practice manuals which include 11 specialized leaflets with basic instructions and directions to ensure safe work in various work environments (construction, agriculture, forestry, hotels, restaurants and catering, boiler operation, wood-working machines).

Registries and reporting of accidents/diseases at work

The Statistics Office is obliged to provide the National Labour Inspectorate with free-of-charge electronic access to its enterprise registry.

Employers are obliged to record any occupational accident resulting in a worker’s absence from work for more than three days, incapacity, or death as a result of the occupational accident and to report it to the Labour Inspectorate, workers representatives and the competent police authority.

Sanction and administrative processes

Labour inspectors are empowered to impose fines for minor offences and suspend activities that endanger the health and/or safety of workers.

Social dialogue and labour inspection

Trade unions are authorised by the Labour Code to carry out inspections on the state of occupational health and safety. Unions are mandated to prepare a report on the deficiencies identified. In cases where the union considers that workers safety or health is at risk they may inform the labour inspectorate. The law foresees that costs incurred in the execution of inspections over occupational safety and health shall be borne by the state.

Cooperation between representatives of the Ministry and representatives of employers’ and employees’ organizations at the national level takes place through the Economic and Social Council

ILO Conventions ratified

Slovakia ratified both Conventions No. 81 and No. 129 in 2009.