Federal Labour Office - Federal Republic of Germany

Source: Federal Labour Office

The Federal Labour Office (Bundesanstalt für Arbeit) is a public institution with administrative autonomy. The legal framework is set by the government. In matters that require no further government regulation, the duties of the Federal Labour Office are organised and carried out by tripartite bodies. Representatives of employees, employers and public institutions serve in the governing bodies. These are the Board of Governors (Verwaltungsrat) and the Executive Board (Vorstand).

An Advisory Committee for the Disabled (Beratender Ausschuss für Behinderte) is established at the headquarters of the Federal Labour Office. This Committee promotes the integration of persons with disabilities in the workin life by making proposals and by supporting the provisions in the SBG III.

The Committee is composed of 11 members including representatives of workers' and employers' organisations, organisations of persons with disabilities, Central Agencies for the Disabled (Hauptfürsorgestellen), Minisry of Labour and Social Affairs.

The Federal Labour Office (Bundesanstalt für Arbeit) organises job placement, pays unemployment insurance and implements active labour market policy, e. g. employment and training schemes.

The main functions of the Federal Labour Office include:

• placement in jobs and training places. Placement services are an integral part of the public employment service;
• administration and payment of unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance;
• the organisation of further training and retraining schemes for job-seekers, the implementation of job-creation and other employment schemes and the distribution of labour market information; and
• vocational guidance.

Its tasks are primarily based on the SGB III (Third Volume of the German Social Welfare Code), which lays down the support measures for vocational rehabilitation, and also, in the case of the disabled persons, on the Severely Disabled Persons Act (Schwerbehindertengesetz). The employment offices (Arbeitsämter) are responsible for delivering those services involving direct contact with job seekers and advice seekers.

According to SGB IX (Ninth Volume of the German Social Welfare Code) the Federal Labour Office provides incentives for hiring severely disabled persons and monitors compliance with the statutory obligation to employ severely disabled people.

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