Ministry of Economy and Industry | Directorate General of Labor

The Commissioner's Areas of Responsibility and Authorities

As defined by law, the Commissioner's areas of responsibility and its authorities focus on four central fields:

Educational Activity: cultivation of public awareness about issues under the jurisdiction of the Unit, via education, training, and explanatory and public relations activity, providing a response to queries, publication of updates on the Unit website, lectures to parties with vested interests, etc. Regulation: The Commissioner is authorized, among other things, to collaborate with parties within and outside government, including with employers and workers. This collaboration is aimed at promoting the designation of actions and regulations the objective of which is the regulation of foreign workers' employment, while safeguarding their rights and the interests of the State of Israel and its citizens. Handling Complaints: in this capacity, the Commissioner is authorized, among other things, to receive complaints pertaining to violations of foreign workers' labor rights by their indirect or direct employer, or by the agent who arranged their employment in Israel. After receiving the complaint, the Commissioner is authorized to proceed with its investigation. To do so, the Commissioner may, among others, demand information about the foreign worker's employment from his direct or indirect employer, or from the agent who arranged their employment in Israel. After investigating the complaint, the Commissioner is authorized to adopt one of the following courses of action: to reject the complaint outright, to refer it to another body authorized to examine the complaint, to refer the complainant and the subject of the complaint to mediation, or to submit or join a civil lawsuit regarding the foreign worker's labor rights. The first, the Commissioner's involvement in legal proceedings pertaining to issues within her area of responsibility. Such involvement will be at the request of the court or the parties or at the initiative of the Commissioner herself. The involvement will be in the Labor Court or other qualified court before which the proceeding is being conducted. The Commissioner is also partner to the state's position in her areas of responsibility. Second, the Commissioner is entitled to initiate such proceedings as the result of findings revealed when investigating a complaint submitted to her about a violation of foreign workers' labor rights. This is done on the basis of the priorities and criteria determined by the Commissioner in accordance with her legal authority. Legal Proceedings: this area, that focuses primarily on civil proceedings, as well as the authorities and activity of the Enforcement Administration, is divided into two fields:

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