Ukrainians looking for work in Poland are increasingly encountering opaque employment terms that at first glance appear standard but, on closer inspection, conceal significant financial and legal risks. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a release from the international recruitment company Gremi Personal. According to the company, by the end of 2025 more than 8,200 employment agencies had been registered in Poland, and due to intense competition some of them attract candidates with maximally appealing terms that do not always match the actual contract conditions and the real salary.

"Cash-in-envelope" wages and hidden deductions

One of the most common schemes is splitting income into an official and an unofficial part. In the documents, a worker may be shown, for example, 4,806 zloty gross, with an additional 1,500–2,000 zloty promised in cash. In such a case, the worker risks not receiving the unofficial part of the salary, and social contributions are not paid on their behalf. In addition, part of the income may be withheld for housing, transport, workwear or other expenses, and fines and payments may be charged that the worker was not warned about during recruitment. Gremi Personal emphasizes that one of the main mistakes when job hunting is comparing vacancies solely by the stated rate, ignoring the structure of payments.

Problems with documents and insurance

A worker may be told that they will be registered in the social and medical insurance system later, or that the first month can be worked without such registration. A person often learns of the problem only after falling ill or during an insurance check. In some cases, workers are offered to skip the required medical examination and obtain the corresponding certificate "by another means." The use of forged documents can create serious problems with legalization and lead to criminal consequences. A worker may also be offered to state in the documents that they are not a tax resident of Poland, even though the actual circumstances indicate the opposite. Tax status depends, in particular, on the center of vital interests and the length of stay in the country.

Fake student status and inflated rates in job ads

Another scheme is offering to register a worker as a student, even though they do not actually have such status. Under certain conditions, a student under 26 working under a umowa zlecenia does not pay part of the social contributions, however a fake status can create problems when the legality of the work is checked. Job ads often list a rate of 35–36 zloty per hour, whereas the rate guaranteed by the contract is significantly lower. For example, of the stated 36 zloty, only 20 zloty may be guaranteed, while the rest depends on meeting the conditions for receiving a bonus. Due to sick leave or a missed shift, the final salary turns out to be significantly lower than promised.

Unrecorded hours and missing allowances

A worker may actually work 220 hours, but see only 180 in the salary calculation. That is why experts advise independently tracking hours worked and comparing them with the data in the payslip. According to Gremi Personal, in a number of cases all hours are paid at the same rate without the provided allowances for overtime or night work, which also reduces actual income.

How to protect yourself: expert recommendations

"Today a risky vacancy does not necessarily look like a scam. It may have a good rate, a normal job description and a standard contract. The problem becomes apparent later, when additional deductions appear, the salary changes, or questions arise about the documents," Gremi Personal notes. Before taking a job, specialists recommend checking not only the vacancy itself but also the agency: its reputation, work experience and the specific terms it offers. For context: the average salary in Poland in February 2026 was 9,966 zloty gross, while half of workers received no more than 7,690 zloty. Salaries are growing fastest in the logistics and warehouse services sector — by 8.1% year on year.