The employee’s rights and the employer’s resulting obligations would be purely fictitious if there were no institutions supervising their implementation. In addition to labor courts, which generally ensure compliance with labor law standards, supervision is exercised by a specialized state body, the National Labor Inspectorate.
The National Labor Inspectorate is the body established to supervise and control compliance with labor law, in particular the provisions and principles of occupational health and safety, as well as – to a certain extent – compliance with the provisions on the legality of employment.
The organizational units of the National Labor Inspectorate are: the Chief Labor Inspectorate, district labor inspectorates (16 – covering the area of voivodeships) and the National Labor Inspectorate Training Center. Professor Jan Rosner in Wrocław.
The National Labor Inspectorate is entrusted with a number of diverse tasks. The most important of them include supervision and control of compliance with labor law provisions, e.g
- occupational health and safety rules,
- remuneration for work and other benefits arising from the employment relationship,
- working time, leaves and employee rights related to parenthood,
- employing minors and disabled people
- working conditions specified in specific regulations.
Additionally, PIP is involved in taking actions to prevent and reduce threats in the work environment, in particular:
- examining the circumstances and causes of accidents at work and monitoring the application of measures to prevent these accidents,
- analyzing the causes of occupational diseases and monitoring the application of measures to prevent these diseases,
- conducting research, measurements and analyzing threats caused by harmful and burdensome factors in the work environment.
The inspection has the right to carry out inspections that do not have to be announced. During its duration, it has broad powers, e.g.
- free access to the premises of the inspected entity,
- access to the facilities and premises of the inspected entity and inspect them (including machines),
- obtaining information from all employees (including former ones), employed both under an employment contract and other relationships,
- access to documents and making copies of them.
In the event of a violation of labor regulations or legality regulations, the National Labor Inspectorate authorities have the right to:
- order the removal of deficiencies within a specified period
- order immediate suspension of work if continued work poses a threat to life or health
- order the immediate suspension of the operation of specific machines and devices
- order the employer to immediately pay the employee’s remuneration or other benefits
- warn the employer
- conduct fine proceedings against the employer if it finds that an offense has been committed.
As you can see, although not all of its tasks and powers are presented, the National Labor Inspectorate has a wide catalog of competences that enable it to operate efficiently. It is an institution designed for efficient and effective operation. In the event of violations of employee rights, especially in the field of occupational health and safety (but also in the case of other violations, e.g. regarding the method of employment), it is worth contacting the Inspectorate because it can take quick action.