The State Labour Inspectorate seeks to extend OHS obligations to include non-employed workers
The State Labour Inspectorate (PIP) has announced plans for legislative amendments aimed at increasing the level of occupational health and safety (OHS) among individuals working under civil-law contracts or as self-employed. The proposals follow from the findings of a recent meeting of the Labour Protection Council and the results of inspections carried out by PIP, which show that current regulations no longer reflect the realities of the modern labour market.
Between 2024 and 2025, approximately 62,500 individuals working as non-employees were subject to PIP inspections, while decisions and recommendations for improving OHS affected around 25,000 people. The most commonly identified irregularities included the lack of up-to-date medical examinations, insufficient OHS training and failure to properly communicate information on occupational risks.
The planned amendments are to include, in particular:
- the obligation to provide occupational risk information to persons working other than as employees
- referrals for medical examinations in specified cases
- mandatory OHS training for selected groups
- supplementing accident report forms with applications and preventive measures also for non-employees.
The proposals have been received favourably by social partners, who emphasise the need for the level of protection to be standardised, regardless of the legal basis of employment. Meanwhile, organisations of employers are pointing out a potential increase in operating costs and the effect that the new obligations will have on how work is organised, particularly in terms of outsourcing and B2B models.