12.10.2023

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON WORKPLACE VIOLATIONS?

The control bodies of the Executive Agency "General Labor Inspectorate" (GLI) carried out 35,956 inspections for the nine months of the year. 30,757 enterprises with more than 1,200,000 employees were checked.

The total number of detected violations of the labor legislation is 175,850, the GLI reports. There were 85,781 violations related to the provisions for the implementation of labor relations, and 89,252 violations related to the provision of health and safety at work.

The focus of the Agency's control remains the industries and activities for which the analyzes indicate that they are high-risk for the use of undeclared labor and for the provision of healthy and safe working conditions. These are construction, agriculture, hospitality, catering and trade.

During the inspections, 2,737 people were found working without an employment contract. The data show that the detection of this violation is increasing compared to the same period last year, when there were 2,464 cases of work without an employment contract. Working without an employment contract is not an insignificant violation, with a minimum penalty of BGN 1,500. Employers lose the right to participate in public procurement within three years.

During the period, the trend observed since the beginning of the year of growth in the issued work permits for minors was maintained. 13,210 were issued, which is 23% more compared to the same period last year, when there were 10,704, GLI also reported.

There has been an increase in the number of cases in which labor inspectors have stopped sites, sites, machines and equipment. They applied this measure in 371 cases, in contrast to last year, when it was used 173 times in the same period. It has a preventive nature and is applied to eliminate violations that create a direct danger to the life and health of workers and are a prerequisite for serious occupational accidents. With every act of stopping, a life can be saved.

There were 7,833 acts for the establishment of administrative violations drawn up for the above-mentioned period. The amount of criminal decrees and approved agreements that entered into force is over BGN 10.8 million.

The established delayed remunerations amount to over BGN 7.5 million. After the intervention of the Labor Inspectorate, over BGN 5 million have been paid.

A month ago, GLI announced that they were starting intensified checks aimed at guaranteeing the payment of wages to workers. The focus of the campaign is on employers who, in previous inspections, have been found to be delaying the payment of wages.