Czech Republic

Labour Inspection Structure and Organization

Name of institution that manages work issues

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT) is responsible for labour affairs in the country.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) is responsible for social policy (e.g. people with disabilities, social services, social benefits, family policy), social security (e.g. pensions, sickness insurance), employment (e.g. labour market, employment services, employment of foreigners), labour legislation, occupational safety and health, equal opportunities for women and men, migration and the integration of foreigners, the European Social Fund and other social or labour-related issues. (http://www.suip.cz/)

Department(s) responsible for Labour Inspection

The State Labour Inspection Office is the authority under the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs competent to supervise the enforcement of labour legislation. (http://www.suip.cz/)

Law that covers organization and functional composition

  • Labour Inspection Act adopted on 3 May 2005
  • Labour Code, adopted by Act No. 262/2006

Scope of labour inspection

The State Labour Inspection Office and the regional Inspection Offices verify compliance with legal obligations related to general working conditions and safety at work. In addition the Inspection Offices verify compliance with selected parts of collective bargaining agreements and companies' internal regulations in accordance with the Labour Code. The Inspection Offices also provide advice to employers and to workers and their representatives on how to better comply with their obligations and provide essential information and guidance with respect to the protection of collective labour relations and working conditions.

Local divisions

The headquarters of the State Labour Inspection Office are located in Opava. This central authority manages eight regional Inspection Offices. Each regional Inspection Office (with the exception of Prague as the capital city and the Central Bohemian Region) covers two regions for inspection purposes.

Programming and communication

The State Labour Inspection Office develops an annual working programme that is approved by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. To draft the programme the Office uses different analyses and studies which help to identify risks and inspection needs.

According to the law, the State Labour Inspection Office must provide professional guidance and technical assistance to inspectorates and coordinate activities carried out by inspectorates.

Human Resources and career development

Permanency of inspectors

Labour inspectors are appointed as civil servants with protection against dismissal.

Selection process

To be a labour inspector, the candidates must pass the examination before a board of examiners.

Background required

Newly hired inspectors receive 256 hours of training before starting their inspection activities. The training covers: the legal framework of the Czech Republic and the EU in the areas of health and safety at work and employment relations and general working conditions; methodological procedures during an inspection; administrative proceedings; defining and assessing risks and soft skills. After the theoretical training, inspectors are required to perform 10 inspection visits to successfully complete the training.

During their professional careers, inspectors participate in seminars and training activities on health and safety at work, safe operation of specified technical equipment, employment relations and working conditions, or other topics such as information technology, communication skills and any other subject to help them perform their functions better.

Visits and functions

Types of visits

Inspectors perform programmed visits as well as visits that arise as a result of complaints.

Role of preventive measures

The State Labour Inspection Office´s website provides information, brochures and leaflets on current health and safety issues. The State Labour Inspection Office also organizes seminars for social partners on issues such as transport, safety at work in logging, electrical engineering, material handling and storage, lift equipment, etc.

Planning of labour inspection visits

As part of the annual inspection programme, inspection offices independently select particular workplaces for carrying out inspections. The selection of companies to be inspected is made on the basis of on-going assessments of data by the State Labour Inspection Office information system. This approach allows inspection activities to focus on those employers who commit repeated breaches of health and safety laws and regulations. When measures are put in place to deal with breaches determined during inspections, inspection offices then conduct follow-up visits based on these decisions.

Registries and reporting of accidents/diseases at work

The State Labour Inspection Office has a register of occupational injuries and an information system designed to assess risks that exist in a workplace as well as the appropriate risk-prevention measures.

Sanction and administrative processes

Labour inspectors impose administrative fines to remedy the shortcomings identified, set adequate time-limits for their elimination and require the submission of a written report on the measures adopted and control the implementation of the measures to remedy the identified shortcomings. Inspectors make first instance decisions on breaches of the law or administrative offences and the State Labour Inspection Office reviews fines imposed by inspectors.

Social dialogue and labour inspection

According to the law, when the State Labour Inspection Office prepares the annual inspection programme of activities it must be discussed with the central trade union bodies and employers’ organisations before it is submitted for approval to the Ministry.

The Labour Code provides that trade unions are also responsible for ensuring compliance with labour law including safety and health legislation, as well as internal regulations and obligations arising from collective bargaining agreements. The union may take measures to ensure that the employer complies with relevant provisions. In such cases, the employer may request a labour inspector to review the measures taken by the union. The law also provides that costs arising from the supervision of workplace occupational safety and health shall be covered by the State.

ILO Conventions ratified

The Czech Republic ratified both Conventions No. 81 and 129 in 2011.