Since the beginning of the year, the Executive Agency "Main Labor Inspectorate" has conducted over 1400 inspections in the bustling summer and winter resorts. The agency announced that nearly 300 of these inspections were carried out during the holidays when activity in these areas traditionally increases.

The inspections covered the working conditions of a substantial 37,800 employees in the resort complexes. The results of these inspections reveal a troubling picture of violations of labor laws. 144 cases of working without a labor contract were identified, which puts workers in a particularly vulnerable position, depriving them of basic rights and protection. 47 minors working without the necessary permission from the Inspectorate were also found, as well as 21 foreign citizens working without the right to access the labor market.

In addition to this, out of over 7800 identified violations, nearly 4000 are directly related to labor relations. These violations include 860 cases concerning remuneration for work, and over 850 related to working hours. Furthermore, over 3700 violations have been registered, affecting the provision of healthy and safe working conditions. Among them, over 490 relate to the requirements for conducting and documenting instructions, which underscores the importance of providing a safe working environment.

From the data provided by the Labor Inspectorate, it becomes clear that short-term employment, characteristic of seasonal work, carries a serious risk of violating the labor rights of workers and employees. It is precisely for this reason that the annual plan for the Agency's activities includes campaigns aimed at monitoring compliance with legal requirements. These campaigns are conducted in both summer and winter resorts and aim to ensure compliance with the law when establishing and implementing labor relations, as well as ensuring the minimum requirements for health and safety at work.

Observations from the beginning of the year indicate that 2766 workers and employees were hired without a labor contract. This represents a worrying increase compared to the same period last year, when the cases were over 2500.

The Labor Inspectorate reminds workers and employees that a written employment contract, in which the working conditions and remuneration are clearly stated, is a guarantee for the protection of their labor rights. This contract must be concluded before starting work. Before starting work, the worker or employee must receive a copy of the concluded employment contract, signed by both parties, a copy of the entry at the beginning of the labor relationship, certified in the territorial directorates of the National Revenue Agency (NRA), as well as a job description. The employer has no right to admit the hired person to their workplace before registering their employment contract with the NRA.

For each identified case of work without a labor contract, labor inspectors impose a fine of BGN 1500 to BGN 15,000. In addition to the financial sanction, such violations can lead to the employer's removal from participation in public procurement procedures for a period of three years.

In support of the workers, the Main Labor Inspectorate has developed special software, accessible at the indicated web address. Through this tool, workers can check the likelihood that their work, or part of it, is undeclared. The software is a questionnaire that assesses the risk of undeclared work in various aspects – working without a labor contract or under fictitious conditions, unregulated payments, as well as risks to the lives and health of workers. In recognition of its significance, the software was awarded first place in the "Social Responsibility" category of the "Good Practices 2024" competition, organized by the Institute of Public Administration (IPA).

In mid-July, the GCI announced the results of the inspections for the first six months of 2025. Labor inspectors found almost 100,000 violations during this period. During these six months, 25,897 inspections were carried out, as a result of which 99,933 violations of labor legislation were registered. Of the total number of violations, 43,030 are related to the provisions regulating the implementation of labor relations, and 56,199 affect the provision of health and safety at work.