Contingent fine/Penalty

Contingent fine

An administrative sanction in the form of a sum of money which an authority or court specifies in an injunction or prohibition. A contingent fine can be imposed by an administrative court if the injunction or prohibition is not complied with. Contingent fines are usually directed against legal persons but can be directed at natural persons as well.

The level of a contingent fine depends among other things on the cost of the measures to be taken and on how big a fine is needed to “persuade” the employer to take them.

Penalty

A penalty is determined by a court of law or by the suspect accepting a penal injunction. Penal sanctions can only be addressed to natural persons. They can take the form of fines or, for serious work environment crimes, imprisonment.