Labour inspectorate

What it means

The labour inspectorate is the state labour inspection authority that checks how employers comply with the Labour Code, health and safety at work rules and the ban on illegal employment. Slovakia has eight regional inspectorates run by the National Labour Inspectorate.

An inspector may enter a workplace unannounced, check the identity of those present, request documents such as employment contracts, working time records or payroll sheets, and ask both employer and employees for explanations.

Where shortcomings are found, the inspectorate orders remedial measures and imposes fines. For illegal employment the fines are high even for a single person, and in cases of workplace accidents and safety breaches it can order work to stop at a dangerous site.

How it works in practice

Inspections most often check whether everyone on site is properly employed and registered with the insurers, whether working time and overtime rules are kept, and whether at least the minimum wage and supplements are paid. Hidden dependent work, disguised employment, is checked too.

We advise clients to keep personnel records in order and available at the workplace or electronically: contracts, agreements, attendance records and registration confirmations. Inspectors do not wait for the accountant; they ask for documents on the spot.

When foreign nationals are employed, the inspectorate also checks residence and work permits and whether they match the work actually done. For agency workers the inspection covers both the user company and the agency.

What to watch out for

A fine can be challenged by an appeal, but in practice what was found on site matters most. The inspection record should be read carefully before signing, and any disagreement with its content stated at once.

Repeated breaches of the ban on illegal employment have long-term consequences: the company can end up on a list that temporarily excludes it from public tenders and grants. That is one more reason always to register a new employee before they start, not after their first day.