When job duties change, base occupational health and safety measures on what the employee will actually do and the risks they will face. A signature from their induction does not prove that they understand a new machine, workplace or procedure. Before allowing independent work, the supervisor needs to assess what has changed, provide the necessary information and training, arrange practical instruction where needed and check that the employee can apply the procedure.
Not every change of job title requires a complete new training course. What matters is whether the work and its conditions have changed. Moving an experienced employee from office record-keeping to dispatch is a different situation from renaming an otherwise unchanged role. This article helps you prepare an employee to take on new duties; it does not replace an assessment of professional qualifications, medical fitness or any other competence required by law.
What actually triggers the requirement
§ 103(2) and (3) of zákoník práce require training relevant to the work performed and its risks when an employee’s role or type of work changes, when new technology or work equipment is introduced, and when other changes have a significant effect on occupational health and safety. The employer determines the content, frequency, method of assessing knowledge and documentation. This does not establish a single annual interval for every workplace. Alongside training, § 103(1) also applies: employees must receive health and safety information and instructions whenever they are reassigned or transferred, or when working conditions, the working environment, equipment, technology or procedures are introduced or changed. The employer must keep records of this information and these instructions.
Remember the medical examination
A change of work may also require an occupational health examination before the employee starts their new duties. Vyhláška č. 79/2013 Sb., o pracovnělékařských službách, in the version effective from 1 January 2026, provides for three situations:
- an initial examination is also carried out before a change in the type of work under § 10(2),
- an extraordinary examination is required under § 12(1)(d) when an employee is reassigned to different work performed under conditions other than those covered by their medical fitness assessment; different conditions mean the addition of at least one risk factor, a change in risk factors, or assignment to work classified as hazardous,
- an exit examination is required under § 13(2)(b) before reassignment to different work or a change in the type of work if this brings work classified as hazardous to an end.
When moving someone from an office to a production line with different risk factors, arrange the necessary medical fitness assessment before they start the new work; training alone does not replace it. The article on occupational health examinations from 1 January 2026 explains what changed in the regulation from January 2026.
In practice, start by asking: “What will be different from the next shift?” The answer needs to go beyond the name of the department. List the tasks, location, equipment used, interaction with other people and situations in which normal work is interrupted. Include changes that may seem minor: a different route between warehouses, additional materials to handle, a new cleaning product, a move to a noisier workstation or lone working.
The same overview should include tasks the employee will not perform. A machine operator may not be authorised to repair an internal fault. An employee may be able to recognise a malfunction and call for help without being permitted to remove a guard or enter a danger zone. An unspoken boundary between normal operation and maintenance can undermine an otherwise careful handover.
A supervisor’s overview of the change
Use this table as a working aid. It is not a legally prescribed form.
| Change | What to compare | What to document before independent work |
|---|---|---|
| Different duties | New tasks, materials and coordination with colleagues | Training content and assessment results |
| Different equipment | Instructions, protective measures and permitted use | Familiarisation with the specific equipment |
| Different workplace | Routes, local hazards and access to help | Local instructions and workplace orientation |
| Greater responsibility | Decision-making authority and limits on intervention | Who can stop work and whom to notify of a fault |
| A new title only | Whether the work has actually remained unchanged | A record of the comparison, if needed |
The table does not confirm that every change is permissible. If the new work requires professional qualifications, medical fitness or specific authorisation, occupational health and safety training alone cannot replace them. The supervisor should check the requirements for the particular activity with the relevant specialist. Resolve any uncertainty before assigning an independent task, rather than relying on a signature beneath a generic statement that the employee “has been informed”.
How to prepare training without repeating the entire syllabus
Take the existing risk assessment, equipment instructions and local working procedure. Identify the sections affected by the new duties. For each, add three things: how the risk arises, which control measure applies and what the employee must do if the required condition is not met. This makes the training focused and specific.
Simply handing over a folder of documents for signature is not enough. You need to establish whether the materials can be used at the actual workplace. Instructions for a different machine model or a procedure describing an outdated factory layout are not a sound basis. Flag missing or conflicting information and refer it to someone authorised to update it; do not invent a safety procedure from an experienced colleague’s memory.
The content should also cover abnormal situations. At what point must the employee stop work? Whom should they contact if a fault occurs? What should they do if protective equipment is missing or a passage is blocked? The answers must reflect local operations. A general instruction to “stay calm” cannot replace an available contact or a safe way of working.
Assessment relevant to the task
A written test can be useful, but it cannot assess every practical skill. Choose questions, a discussion or a safe demonstration suited to the activity. Practical training must be provided by a designated competent person under conditions that do not endanger the participant or anyone else.
The employee should be able to explain in their own words, for example, the limits of their operating duties, how to report a fault and a condition that would prevent them from starting work. “I’ll do it the same way as last time” is not a satisfactory answer if they previously worked with different equipment. The aim is to establish whether they can apply the instructions, rather than recite a legal provision word for word.
If the assessment is unsuccessful, the record must not conceal the problem. Record which part was not understood, what will be repeated and who will reassess the outcome. Until then, do not assign the employee the specific independent activity for which they have not met the requirements. They may perform other clearly defined work safely, provided they meet its requirements.
Example scenario: from shipment records to a packing line
This is an illustrative example, not a description of a client assignment. An employee has previously prepared labels and recorded shipments. They are now expected to operate packing equipment. Their personnel file already contains an induction training record, so the supervisor initially plans only a ten-minute handover from a colleague.
The comparison reveals new tasks and work near moving machine parts. The supervisor first checks the available instructions and local procedure, the required competence and the conditions for practical training. The focused training covers normal operation, stopping work safely and the point at which authorised maintenance staff must be called.
During the discussion, the employee correctly explains normal operation but suggests reaching into a guarded area if the equipment jams. This is not a detail to overlook. Further practical training is provided for this situation, independent operation is postponed and the result of the next assessment is recorded. Success means more than obtaining another signature: the employee knows what they may do, what they must not do and how to call for help.
This example does not prescribe how to resolve a packing machine fault. That depends on the specific equipment and its documentation. It shows why assessment must also cover what happens when things go wrong, and why training does not authorise every kind of intervention.
What to record and what to check after the first shift
Link the record to the specific change. Include the employee, date, content and reference materials, the trainer or person providing practical instruction, the assessment method and its outcome. Depending on the local process, add the scope of permitted activities and any restrictions. Do not automatically treat a signature confirming attendance as evidence of practical competence.
For the first shift, designate someone the employee can turn to. A brief follow-up discussion is useful: could the instructions be followed in practice, did any other obstacle arise, and has an unofficial “faster” method emerged? If so, feed the findings back into the risk assessment and documentation. Do not quietly change the original unsuccessful assessment to a successful one.
For a planned change, the materials can be prepared in advance. When an employee is moved unexpectedly to cover a colleague’s absence, production pressure does not remove the requirements. If no one is available to provide the necessary practical training, or a safe procedure is missing, reorganise the work. A task with unresolved safety questions cannot be made safe by promising to provide training the following week.
Do you need follow-up training and usable local procedures for changes in employees’ duties? Occupational health and safety services for businesses from SOHE can help define the materials and steps needed for your operations.
Frequently asked questions
Must the entire training be repeated when a job title changes?
The title alone is not decisive. Compare the actual work, equipment and risks, then determine what additional training is needed.
Is a signature on the original syllabus enough?
It does not demonstrate familiarisation with new duties that the syllabus did not cover. The record should reflect the training and assessment actually carried out.
Is annual refresher health and safety training mandatory?
Zákoník práce does not set a single interval for all types of work. The employer determines the content and frequency according to the risks and any specific requirements; see the article on employee health and safety training: when to repeat it for more detail.
Does an employee need a medical examination when their work changes?
If the type of work changes or the employee moves to work under different conditions, such as additional or different risk factors or work classified as hazardous, yes: an initial examination under § 10(2), or an extraordinary examination under § 12(1)(d) of vyhláška č. 79/2013 Sb., as applicable. The examination must take place before reassignment.
Can an experienced colleague provide the training?
That depends on the activity and the competence required of the trainer. Experience alone does not replace specific authorisation or qualifications where these are required.
What if the employee fails the assessment?
Identify the missing knowledge or skill, provide further instruction or practical training and assess the outcome again. Do not conceal a restriction with a signature confirming attendance.
Sources and scope
- Zákon č. 262/2006 Sb., zákoník práce — e-Sbírka
- SÚIP — Vstupní, periodické školení k BOZP
- Vyhláška č. 79/2013 Sb., o pracovnělékařských službách — e-Sbírka
Source materials verified on 7 October 2026. The practical procedure and example scenarios are the author’s recommendations; individual operations require assessment based on the equipment and documentation.