Offered a suspiciously attractive rate? That's a signal to check the conditions
A high net amount may depend on bonuses, the tax method, student status or other conditions. As a foreigner, you need to know who officially employs you, on what legal basis you work, whether you are registered with ZUS and whether your actual working conditions match your documents
Workers widely face non-transparent conditions from employment agencies
| 69% | have personally faced at least one non-transparent practice related to their pay rate or how their pay is processed. |
| 57,8% | have already faced two or more such practices. |
| 95,2% | of people who have worked in Poland for three years or more either choose a fully transparent job offer or are only willing to consider a higher rate after a written explanation of how it is calculated. |
Survey by the Gremi Personal Analytical Centre, August 2026, 600 foreigners with experience of working through agencies in Poland.
5 schemes that can affect the legality of your work and your status in Poland
First, check your documents, ZUS, tax details and the legal basis for your work
1. You are "registered as a student" even though you don't have student status
A higher net amount is explained by a student status you don't actually have.
- What it looks like: You are asked to sign a statement or provide a proof of study, even though you are not studying or don't have the relevant status.
- What to check: Don't confirm a status that doesn't match your actual situation. Ask on what basis ZUS contributions are not being paid.
- Potential risk: Turn down such an offer. It puts you at risk of being left without proper insurance, getting into trouble with ZUS and with the documents that allow you to work and stay legally in Poland. As a result, you may face deportation.
2. You are persuaded to sign a declaration of tax non-residency
A higher net amount may be the result of a different PIT calculation.
- What it looks like: You are asked to confirm that you are supposedly not a tax resident of Poland but, for example, of Ukraine, even though the actual circumstances may be different.
- What to check: Don't sign the declaration automatically. Ask for a written explanation of the factual grounds on which your tax status was determined.
- Potential risk: Turn down such an illegal offer. It directly exposes you to back taxes and interest, and a tax debt can cause problems with your residence documents in Poland and, as a result, deportation.
Other ways you can lose the money you've earned through illegal agency practices
Even if your documents are in order, check how your actual pay is calculated
6. A sky-high rate in the job ad, but different maths in the contract
- What it looks like: The ad names one figure, but the contract turns out to have a different rate or an "up to" amount.
- What to check: Compare the advertised figure with the gross rate, the guaranteed part and the conditions for paying bonuses.
7. Part of the high rate is a bonus
- What it looks like: The advertised amount consists of a base rate and a bonus you can lose.
- What to check: Ask how much you are guaranteed per hour without the bonus and in what cases the bonus is not paid.
Before you start, ask the recruiter these 8 questions
Who exactly is employing me?
Give the full name of the legal entity that signs the contract with me and pays my salary.
On the basis of what document will I be working legally?
Show which employer, workplace, position or type of work and conditions are stated in the documents, and whether they match the actual job offer.
What exactly is the contract I'm signing, and when will I receive it?
An umowa o pracę (employment contract) or an umowa zlecenia (civil-law contract of mandate), and will I receive it before I start work?
Will you register me with ZUS, and from what date?
Ask exactly when the registration will take place and where you can check it in eZUS.
How much am I guaranteed per hour without bonuses?
Ask for the exact gross rate, the bonus amount separately and the conditions under which the bonus may not be paid.
How exactly are my hours counted?
Who keeps the records, where can I check the number of hours, and how are overtime and night shifts paid?
How much exactly can be deducted from my pay?
Ask for the cost of accommodation, transport and other charges separately, as well as the maximum possible monthly deductions.
Do I have to sign declarations about student status, tax non-residency or any other special status?
Ask on what basis this is done, what documents confirm it and how it will affect ZUS and taxes.
Started work? Check three things
Check whether the actual employer, workplace, position and working conditions match your documents
Check your registration in eZUS and who pays your contributions
Compare the hours worked, rate, bonuses, overtime, night hours and all deductions
Facing a problem? Here's what to do:
1. Write to the agency in writing.
State exactly what doesn't match: pay, hours, deductions, ZUS, contract or working conditions. Ask for a written explanation and a correction.
2. Keep the evidence.
The contract, job ad, correspondence, schedules, payslips, bank statements and documents on the legalisation of your work.
3. Contact the relevant authority:
● pay, hours, contract, working conditions — Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy, PIP (National Labour Inspectorate);
● no registration or contributions — ZUS;
● incorrect tax calculations or tax status — Urząd Skarbowy (tax office);
● the actual work doesn't match your work or residence documents — Urząd Wojewódzki (voivodeship office) or Straż Graniczna (Border Guard), depending on the situation.
4. If the problem concerns the legality of your work, don't put off checking.
A mismatch between the employer, position or other conditions and your documents may affect the legality of your employment.
Transparent conditions start before your first working day
At Gremi Personal, before you start work, you will get full information about: your contract, rate, ZUS, accommodation and other conditions.
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Frequently asked questions
Before you start work. The recruiter will explain in advance when and how you will receive all the necessary documents.
Ask about the schedule, the approximate number of hours and whether a minimum number of working hours per month is guaranteed.
Ask in advance for a full list of costs and possible deductions from your pay.
Once you are registered, you can see your insurance information in your personal eZUS account.
Don't compare just the hourly figure. Look at the guaranteed rate, the number of working hours, possible deductions, the type of contract, whether pay is official and your expected monthly income.