From enforcers to alliance builders: (re)configuring occupational identities among labor inspectors through a dialogue-based inspection practice

• New labor inspection practices challenge inspectors’ occupational identities. • Based on qualitative interviews with 35 labor inspectors in Denmark. • Shows inspectors position themselves as alliance builders – less as policemen. • Shows how inspectors manage the dual identities of alliance builders and authorities. Labor inspectors play a key role in linking governmental occupational safety and health (OSH) regulation with the practical implementation of OSH measures in enterprises. An increased focus on labor inspectorates’ ability to assist enterprises in solving complex OSH issues makes new dialogue-based labor strategies and practices emerge. One of these is the Agreement To Problem-solve (ATP). This article aims to shed light on how ATP affects labor inspectors’ occupational identities and thereby their motivations and challenges in achieving better dialogue-based practices. This study is based on interviews with 34 Danish labor inspectors and investigates, through a positioning theoretical approach, how ATP interacts with labor inspectors’ occupational identities – and whether ATP aligns well with these. The study contributes to knowledge about how labor inspectors perceive themselves, their work, and their identities, which has been called for within the field of OSH inspectorates and regulatory enforcement literature. Furthermore, it contributes to knowledge about how dialogue-based practices may improve labor inspection to benefit enterprises, labor inspectorates, and labor inspectors. Finally, the study provides suggestions for improving dialogue-based labor inspection through increased focus on inspectors' roles, expertise, and evidence-based approaches to achieving effects from implemented measures.