Companies that use service agreements, B2B contracts, and other forms of civil-law cooperation should closely monitor the latest actions taken by the National Labor Inspectorate. The reason is simple.
The National Labor Inspectorate (PIP) has announced a significant increase in the number of inspections regarding the proper use of civil law contracts, and as of July 8, 2026, the Inspectorate is set to receive new powers related to assessing the legitimacy of using such contracts in place of employment contracts.
Furthermore, the number of complaints received by the PIP in this area has recently increased by as much as 100%.
For many business owners, this means they need to urgently review not only their documentation but also how they organize their collaboration.
Why has interest in the PIP increased?
As Chief Labor Inspector Marcin Stanecki points out, the National Labor Inspectorate is currently dealing with a record number of reports concerning employment under civil law contracts.
As a result, we can expect as many as several thousand complaint-related inspections this year.
Starting next year, planned inspections—based on risk analysis and special algorithms for selecting entities to be inspected—are also set to begin.
This means that the issue is no longer limited to the companies against which a complaint has been filed.
Risk assessment by regulatory authorities will also become increasingly important.
What will change starting July 8, 2026?
The new regulations are intended to significantly strengthen the position of the National Labor Inspectorate.
In practice, this means placing greater emphasis on verifying situations in which a civil law contract was entered into under conditions equivalent to an employment relationship.
For entrepreneurs, however, it is crucial to understand one fact:
👉 The text of the agreement alone may not be sufficient to defend the chosen model of cooperation.
Inspectors will focus primarily on analyzing the actual working conditions.
What will the inspector look for during the inspection?
In the event of an audit, the following factors, among others, will be taken into account:
Work Organization
Does the person performing the tasks work independently, or does he or she function as a full-time employee?
Chain of command
Does the employee receive ongoing instructions on how to perform their work?
Place and time of performing duties
Is there an obligation to work at a specific location and during specific hours?
Substitution option
Can an employee delegate tasks to someone else?
Economic Risk
Does it face any real risks related to its business operations?
Independence
Does it affect how the assigned tasks are carried out?
It is precisely these elements that will be crucial when assessing the nature of the cooperation.
A document isn't enough
Many business owners assume that a properly drafted B2B contract or contract for services is sufficient.
Meanwhile, the Chief Labor Inspector himself emphasizes that inspectors will focus primarily on examining the actual course of the collaboration.
This means that even a properly drafted contract will not guarantee protection if day-to-day practices indicate the characteristics of an employment relationship.
In the event of an audit, the question will not be limited to:
"What's in the contract?"
What will be much more important is:
"How does this collaboration work in practice?"
How to Prepare Your Company for an Audit?
Given the current situation, it is advisable to conduct an internal audit of the cooperation carried out under civil law contracts.
Please verify the following:
✔ the content of the contracts entered into,
✔ work organization,
✔ the extent of employees' autonomy,
✔ the process of issuing commands,
✔ Accounting and liability rules.
The sooner potential risks are identified, the greater the chance of avoiding problems during an audit.
The changes planned for 2026 show that regulatory authorities are placing increasing emphasis on the actual nature of the cooperation.
For business owners, this means they must exercise even greater caution when choosing employment models.
It is no longer just a matter of ensuring that documents are formally compliant, but of properly designing and implementing collaboration processes.
That is precisely why solutions based on clearly defined accountability for the process, regulatory compliance, and transparent rules of cooperation are becoming increasingly important.
Starting July 8, 2026, inspections related to civil law contracts may reach a whole new level.
The growing number of complaints, the new powers granted to the National Labor Inspectorate (PIP), and the evolving mechanisms for selecting entities for inspection mean that companies should review their collaboration models today.
In many cases, the greatest risk will not be the content of the contract itself, but rather the way the partnership operates on a day-to-day basis.