Intensive cooperation with the Police and other authorities yields first results

Four months into the work of the Priority Response Division of the Labour Inspectorate, the first results are already showing. Since October 2024, the Priority Response Division has dealt with more than 30 businesses and issued 80 infringement measures and 60 administrative measures on the basis of the findings, of which 21 decisions prohibiting the work of workers or the work process or the use of means of work until the irregularities have been corrected (so-called prohibition decisions) have been issued by the inspectors during this period.

A key part of the Priority Response Division's success is the intensive cooperation with the Police and other authorities, as well as the coordinated cooperation of labour relations and occupational safety inspectors. The merging of inspectors from both areas, and the involvement of several inspectors at the same time, allows for a more comprehensive approach to surveillance, more in-depth inspection and more effective resolution of the most serious infringements. Priority Response Division inspectors are also on the ground outside normal working hours, covering the whole territory of Slovenia. The organisation and rapid response of the Division have proved to be an important link in ensuring the protection of workers' rights.

Active cooperation with other authorities, such as the Police, the Health Inspectorate and the Infrastructure Inspectorate, shows that larger, more complex inspections can only be tackled by taking a holistic approach to each individual business. In particular, we would like to highlight the excellent cooperation with the Police, which supports the Labour Inspectorate or the Sector in individual cases, both by participating in the supervision itself and by providing relevant information.

The Priority Response Division's inspections have thus proved to be very successful in a relatively short period of time - four months - with inspectors identifying some major violations, among which the following stand out:

• abuse of agency work or providing workers to a user without proper legal grounds (violation of Article 163 of the Labour Market Act) - inspectors issued two (2) prohibition decisions and several infringement measures on this basis,
• non-compliance with obligations related to the posting of workers abroad (posting of workers in violation of the Law on Cross-Border Provision of Services) - inspectors issued one (1) prohibition decision and several infringement measures,
• infringements in the area of employment, self-employment and work of foreigners, in particular regarding the adequacy of work permits for foreigners - four (4) prohibition decisions and several infringement measures were issued,
• violations in the area of occupational safety and health, safe working equipment and working environment - inspectors also checked the accommodation conditions for foreigners and found that they were inadequate in some cases, as shown in the attached photos.

The Priority Response Division is strategically oriented to deal with cases that require an immediate response and a comprehensive approach. The sector's priorities in the area of labour law include case supervision:

• when the rights of a large number of workers are violated,
• when the offender is perceived to have a criminal record,
• when the public interest is at stake, according to the criteria of the gravity of the infringement for the values affected or protected and the extent of the infringement,
• where an immediate response in time is required or
• when the offences concern the employment of foreigners and the provision of workers to the user in breach of the rules.

In the area of occupational safety and health, the sector pays particular attention to preventing immediate risks to workers' lives and health and improving working conditions. They also strive to ensure the highest level of protection of workers' privacy and the safe handling of sensitive data. This concern for privacy clearly reflects respect for the sector's core values.

The Labour Inspectorate remains committed to protecting workers' rights and promoting compliance with labour legislation. We encourage all individuals and organisations to report suspected violations to help ensure a safe and lawful working environment throughout Slovenia.

You can report an infringementto our e-mail address: gp.irsd@gov.si