In late May, the police implemented a nationwide intensified surveillance period alongside several authorities (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Finnish Tax Administration, Fire Inspection and Food Authority), in which tax number identifiers were checked in various sectors, employee lists were compared to the number of actual employees, and attention was paid to the use of foreign labour and occupational safety conditions in the workplace.
A total of 146 inspections were carried out, in which 674 employees were inspected. Foreign workers accounted for 398 (59 %) of these employees. The inspected sites were selected on the basis of advance analyses and monitoring plans drawn up through inter-authority cooperation. Supervision was focused on e.g. the hospitality, construction and hairdressing sectors.
According to Chief Superintendent Arto Hankilanoja of the National Police Board, preventative action, rectification of the observed shortcomings and the improvement of working conditions in order to safeguard the viability of the business sector and the financial basis of society are the key function of special control operations like these.
- The working conditions were mainly in order, and authorities provided advice and guidance to both employers and employees wherever shortcomings were observed, says Hankilanoja.
The observed shortcomings were related to the lack and regularity of shift rosters, shortcomings in tax numbers, working time records, occupational safety and occupational health care services. The surveillance revealed 11 foreign employees that were suspected of working undeclared, which accounts for 1,6 % of all inspected employees.
The authorities issued dozens of requests and warnings. A total of 4 reports of offences were issued regarding the use of undeclared labour, violations of the Aliens Act as well as extortion-like work discrimination. 4 fines were issued for violations of the Aliens Act. 9 reports were also booked for the investigation of the criteria for staying in Finland as a foreign national.
In the construction sector, the tax administrative inspectors noticed that a few worksites entirely lacked construction permits. Shortcomings in permits were to some extent observed in many worksites.
In the restaurant sector, the surveillance of the entry of sales and supervised use of the cash register revealed several cases of undeclared sales. With regard to employee information, some places showed contradictions between shift rosters and Incomes Register information.
