Increased labor inspections to reduce health care costs
Improved enforcement of the Labor Code should contribute to lower health care costs. The Federal Council has now published a report on how health protection regulations are being complied with.
National Councilor Max Chopard-Acklin submitted the postulate "Reducing health costs through labor inspectorates" more than six years ago, on June 7, 2010, instructing the Federal Council to prepare a report on compliance with health and safety regulations (Labor Code). In the report adopted on November 23 Report the Federal Council shows that the cantons ensure the enforcement of the Labor Code and thus already make a significant contribution to prevention as well as to the reduction of health care costs.
It is undisputed that an improvement in the enforcement of the Labor Code and an optimization of its enforcement system as well as its financing will contribute to a further reduction in health care costs. However, the Federal Council considers it difficult to make statements on the extent of this possible reduction.
Cantons enforce laws
The cantonal labor inspectorates (KAI) usually enforce the Labor Act (health protection) in combination with the Accident Insurance Act (occupational safety). The integrated enforcement system of the ArG and UVG is complex and not very transparent. This is reflected in the fact that in the case of company inspections with combined enforcement of the ArG and UVG, the inspection topics do not coincide with the competencies of any of the enforcement bodies.
The number of farm inspections is moderate in Switzerland. As far as can be estimated, the KAIs carry out inspections in 2 to 3% of all registered farms per year. There are large disparities between the cantons. As a rule, the advisory and inspection activities of the KAIs are predominantly advisory. This is reflected, for example, in the fact that criminal proceedings are very rarely initiated against offending farms.
The dualism of the law also leads to duplication in certain areas with regard to supervision, enforcement bodies, control priorities and the financing of enforcement and advisory services. The Federal Council has recognized these duplications and will continue to pursue efforts to optimize enforcement. In principle, however, any adjustment that goes in the direction of intensifying control must first be the subject of an in-depth investigation from the perspective of efficiency and administrative burden.
According to the report, an overall revision is unrealistic at the present time, but selective amendments to the law could strengthen enforcement in a targeted manner.
Source: Federal Council / EAER
