Poland is tightening checks on the employment of foreign nationals: what this means for Ukrainians

From 8 July 2026, an updated system for checking employment contracts will come into force in Poland. This is discussed in an article by RBC-Ukraine featuring Tomash Bogdevych, CEO of the international recruitment company Gremi Personal. The National Labour Inspectorate will be empowered to forcibly convert civil law contracts (umowa zlecenia) and B2B contracts into formal employment contracts (umowa o pracę) if it finds that an employee is, in fact, on the payroll. The decisive criteria will be: personal performance of the work, the presence of supervision, and a fixed schedule or place of work.

As Tomash Bogdevych points out, the main risk for Ukrainian workers is not the inspections themselves, but the reaction of employers. Companies that make widespread use of civil law contracts instead of employment contracts may reduce their workforce or stop hiring foreign nationals in order to minimise legal risks. Those whose right to reside or work is tied to a specific employer are particularly vulnerable.

Further information is available on the rbc.ua website