A Radom district court on 9 September imposed a PLN 25,000 (c. EUR 5,650) summary fine on the president of a regional haulage company for hiring dozens of non-EU nationals without proper work authorisations. The verdict was published by the Nadwiślański Border Guard Unit on 22 September. Border Guard inspectors had audited the firm’s records between January and April, examining files of 131 drivers from Belarus, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine. They found 58 cases where employees worked on conditions that breached the terms of their work permits, or where required contract copies were never filed with the labour office. The ruling underscores Poland’s tougher stance on employer compliance following the 2026 amendments to the Act on the Employment of Foreigners, which raised maximum fines to PLN 50,000 and introduced mandatory “compliance attestations” for transport operators. Companies relying on third-country drivers now face random spot checks as well as data-matching between the National Labour Inspectorate and the Electronic Toll Collection System. Legal advisers recommend that HR teams run quarterly audits of work permits, residence titles and contract templates, especially ahead of the peak Christmas logistics season. Multinationals with Polish subsidiaries should note that violations can jeopardise A1 portable documents and disrupt EU posting of workers, potentially delaying cross-border projects.
Source: Nadwiślański Border Guard
