What are the disadvantages of Schwarzarbeit/illegal employment for you?

If you work without registration or a work permit, this can have negative consequences for you. For example, it can have a negative impact on your residence status. In addition, unregistered work means that no social insurance contributions are paid. So you are not paying anything into the insurance policies. The social insurance system provides social security if you become ill or unemployed, for example, or when you reach retirement age. Only those who pay into these social insurance schemes can receive benefits from them.

In the case of illegal employment, it often happens that the rights of employees, i.e. your rights, are disregarded. This means you have to work longer hours, are paid less than the minimum wage or similar. It is then difficult to defend yourself against this, because the illegal employment can also have negative consequences for you. This is why illegal employment is also dangerous and can lead to you being exploited.

Important: you are always entitled to your wages, even if you are an unregistered worker or don’t have the necessary work permit!

You can contact your Fair Integration advice centre at any time. Or you can organise yourself in a trade union together with your colleagues. You can stand up for your rights in the trade union. Trade unions also have lawyers who can advise and support you.