A new electronic-based system for tracking temporary workers is likely to discourage legal employment rather than regularize it, writes Népszabadság.
Starting in January, employers in Hungary will be obliged to electronically submit all data on temporary workers – including the jobs they will perform – to the tax office before they start working. This means employers can no longer follow the common “semi-legal” method of giving their full-time employees a “temporary employment booklet” to minimize payroll taxes.
Experts interviewed by the daily think this will lead to employers either laying off employees or choosing to employ them totally off the books.
In case you hadn’t heard it there is also a
controversial proposal on the table, that all
employers will be required to electronically tag
workers. While this might sound somewhat draconian
at first, the government’s plan (which I support)
is that worker’s movements will now be easily
tracked, and it will help cut down on undeclared
incomes by making sure they are where they are
expected to be at all times. People not in the
workforce (children excluded, naturally, but not
pensioners as many of these still work and they
are to be especially targetted) will be able to
get their tags put on at various government
offices, according to the proposals. Each person
will be obliged to fill in a form stating the
location of their workplace and home and any other
places they regularly frequent (with suitable
justification for spending time there, e.g. cafes,
bars). For workers, their employers will have the
responsibility to enter these into a google maps
application (technically, “mashup”) which the
government is currently putting out to tender. For
unemployed persons, the govt offices will enter
this data. The maps application will enable a new
government body to easily compare every
individuals actual movements with their stated
locations, and instigate closer investigation of
everyone who deviates by more than a set threshold
(10% is in the current proposals).
I almost forgot to add – real bonus this – the
application will be easily visible to anyone via the
internet. Thus enabling the public to track the
movements of their neighbours, etc, and report any
suspicious ‘black’ behaviour to the authorities.
Personally, I cannot wait for the trials to begin.
Benny, you are ‘avin a laugh.
I suppose this scheme will be in place at the same time they instal the electrified fence around Hungary with the sign on the gate, “Work Brings Freedom”.
This is serious man. I’m so excited I can’t wait
for the web app to become available, so I bought a
map of Budapest, marked on it where my neighbour
officially works (I don’t like him and I know he
sneaks off the job to do nixers), and since
yesterday I’ve been following him around and
putting little stickers on the map for everywhere
he spends time so I can build up a full profile of
his movements. I’ll pull all the data together at
the weekend and forward the dossier to APEH, so
they can get moving without having to wait. I
encourage all of you to do likewise without delay.
Let’s smoke out those scroungers who don’t pay
their full share, haha!
And some of my buddies in Jobbik tell me they are
planning some new features for this web app when
they get into power. My favourite is that all
people of Jewish descent will appear in the app as
little yellow star icons – what a hoot, I love
these Jobbik boys!