Improving Compliance Standards / Call Centers

The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MTPS) of Chile decided to launch the “Labor Inspection Online” (ITEL) program, which functions as a web site where employers, union leaders and others can develop procedures, get information, make inquiries, acquire knowledge, resolve conflicts and integrate into a system of technical assistance. Prior to beginning operation of the ITEL and thanks to the RIAL, three staff members from the MTPS responsible for implementing this initiative visited the National Call Center (NCC) of the United States Department of Labor in order to learn in detail how it works, observe its main successes and difficulties, and corroborate or correct decisions made in the implementation of ITEL. The U.S. NCC is the first point of contact between the Department of Labor and its users, serving 1.4 million calls and 90,000 emails a year.

For three days the delegates toured the center, which functions similarly to a telephone exchange, and various agencies of the Department of Labor related to the topic. This meeting allowed them to identify some difficulties and needs in implementing the ITEL such as insufficient supply of technical services.

In the words of the delegates, the visit contributed to conceptually confirming what was put forward in the proposal for the ITEL oriented to approaching the population, virtual paths, and the benefits that are delivered in person at the various offices of the Labor Inspectorate. It also allowed for an exchange of ideas about possible cooperation project between the U.S. and Chile in the implementation of the ITEL.