1. 22 May 2018 Sofia National Survey ‘Fine-tuning the Interventions of the GLI EA for Better Targeting of Labour Inspection’

2. About the survey GOAL of the sURVEY: Awarding authority: GLI EA
Contractor: Risk Analysis Foundation
Implementation period: 7 March – 20 April 2018
GOAL of the sURVEY:
To establish the challenges faced by the GLI EA and to develop optimum capacity and approaches for fine-tuning its activity
Subgoals of the survey:
To identify the main difficulties, problem areas and challenges
To identify the issues in most need of fine-tuning and optimisation;
To outline relevant approaches and possibilities for optimisation of:
а) the planning of GLI EA’s activity;
б) the inspection – as a process and methods used;
в) the indicators for measuring the effects of GLI EA’s activity.

3. Functions of the GLI EA
The GLI EA exercises overall control on the compliance with the labour law in all areas and activities
The GLI EA exercises specialized control on the compliance with the Healthy and Safe Working Conditions Act, the Employment Promotion Act and the legislation related to civil service
The GLI EA gives information and technical advice to employers and to workers and employees on the most effective methods to comply with the labour law, the legislation regulating occupational safety and health, and any other acts whose enforcement is assigned to the Agency by law
The GLI EA notifies the competent authorities about established deficiencies and gaps in the labour law in force

4. Target groups of the survey: 4,211 respondents altogether
Managers and executive staff of the GLI EA: 136 persons
Staff of public institutions interfacing the GLI EA’s activities: 12 persons
Social partners (trade unions and employers’ associations represented at national level): 19 persons in total
Employers and workers in objects of control: enterprises economic activities employers ,660 workers
General public: 1,000 persons (18+)

6. Challenges according to the assessment of the employers, employees and the population

7. General conclusions about the challenges faced by GLI EA
Challenges arising from objective circumstances external to the system of the GLI EA
Challenges arising from objective circumstances generated by GLI EA’s system
Challenges posed by deficit of human resources
Challenges due to specificities of the thinking and the attitudes of the controlled subjects
Challenges arising from psychological/subjective reasons related to the objects of control

9. Two main lines for fine-tuning GLI EA’s activities
Innovative methods of inspection (self-assessment questionnaires for employers)
Strengthening the advisory / preventive role of the NLI

10. Self-assessment questionnaires for employers. Essence.
103 questionnaires, developed by GLI EA’s experts under a project financed under Human Resources Development Operational Programme
Planned use at inspection, information and consultation
Included inspection and information / advisory section
Announced before inspection in the objects of control
Time provided before inspection to rectify incompliance, established by the employer
Applied with the use of special software (under development)

11. The staff of the 28 RLI-D about the intoduction of innovative ways of inspection
Appreciation of the new inspection method
Expected positive effects:
Better awareness and better orientation of the employers about the regulations
Increased knowledge and skills of the employers on the implementation of the labour law
Enhanced trust to the inspected (instead of unannounced inspections, time to rectify infringements)
Targeted inspection
Higher quality and effectiveness of the control
Need to take into account:
The mechanisms for enforcement of the existing legislation
The expectations of the general public and the social partners
The specificity of the Bulgarian way of thinking

12. The social partners about the innovative ways of inspection
Employers:
More active and effective information exchange
Strengthening the preventive role of GLI EA’s structures
Expectations for good reception of the alternative methods by the objects of control
Trade unions:
Welcome and approve the modernization of the inspection methods
Recommendation: a key to the optimisation of the GLI EA
More and better trained inspectors
Profiled and specialized inspectors
Better payment of GLI EA’s staff

15. Indicators for measuring the outcome of labour inspectors’ performance, in the opinion of GLI EA’s staff

16. Assessments what influences more the inspection outcome:
imposition of fines or giving prescriptions

17. The employees' assessments of the positive effects from inspection in their enterprises

18. Benefits and problems generated by the labour inspectors’ work

19. Conclusion
GLI EA is a renowned institution highly trusted by the public
Performs highly responsible functions
Plays a major role for labour law compliance
The majority of the Bulgarian population has an accurate and true idea about:
The essence of the labour inspectors’ work
The main challenges faced by the Bulgarian inspector and the GLI EA in general
The potential for fine-tuning GLI EA’s activity
Common is the positive evaluation about the effect of the activities of GLI EA’s structures in general and of the labour inspectors