The rise in activity has also led to an uptick in the unemployment rate to 4.3 percent.Continue reading
A brutal increase in occupational health and safety (OSH) fines will come into force next month, paying off an old “debt” that the government has had for years. Since there had been no change in the amount of the fine for years, its deterrent effect was greatly reduced, writes Vilgágzadaság.
From March 1, the lower limit for OSH fines will double to HUF 100,000 (EUR 257) per worker, while the upper limit will be ten times the current amount, i.e HUF 100 million (EUR 257,049).
The penalty will triple in the case of an accident at work or injury to health, rising tenfold in the case of a serious accident at work, and twentyfold in the case of a fatal accident at work.
The number of offenses and the length of time the risk has been present can further increase the fine, up to several times. Aggravating factors that may arise in the case of irregularities can increase the fine even further.
From March, the lower limit for employment supervision fines will increase to HUF 150,000 (EUR 385), while the upper limit will remain unchanged, but only for micro and small enterprises. However, the fines for medium-sized companies (SMEs) will increase to HUF 20 million (EUR 51,409) and to HUF 25 million (EUR 64,262) for companies with more than 50 employees. For the discretionary fine categories, the fine rates vary according to the size of the company:
the larger the company, the higher the amount that can be imposed.
The changes will also affect the employment of third-country nationals without a permit, where penalties will also be increased in line with the provisions of the new Act on the General Rules for the Entry and Right of Residence of Third-Country Nationals.
This is in sharp contrast to the practice of recent years, where SMEs have often got off with a warning despite the fact that the problems have existed for years, points out Economx. In addition, unfortunately, firms are keen to cut back on health and safety.
Via Világgazdaság; Featured image via Pixabay
