Labour inspectors found more than 4,600 breaches of labour law during checks at Black Sea resorts between May and September 2026, the General Labour Inspectorate Executive Agency said.
Inspectors checked 950 seasonal businesses, which employ 27,894 workers and staff. They drew up 330 reports of administrative violations.
Inspectors from the regional directorates in Burgas, Varna and Dobrich took part in the annual campaign. Colleagues from other directorates across Bulgaria were also sent to the resorts to tighten checks.
There were 622 breaches of working time rules and 486 of pay rules. In all, 142 people worked without an employment contract, 50 foreigners had no access to the labour market, and 24 minors worked without permission from the inspection body. On safe working conditions, the most common breaches were failures to brief staff and to meet electrical safety requirements.
In the first six months of 2026, inspectors carried out 24,772 checks across Bulgaria and found more than 96,000 breaches. Of these, 51,576 concerned health and safety at work, and 1,774 people were working without an employment contract.
The inspectorate classes seasonal businesses as high-risk in summer because of undeclared work. This includes work without a contract, part-time hiring where the person actually works eight hours or more, and the hiring of minors and of foreigners from non-EU countries.
A written employment contract that clearly sets out working conditions and pay gives workers the best protection of their rights. The worker should receive it before starting work. The inspectorate advises people to ask the employer for a copy of the contract signed by both sides, a copy of the notification of the start of employment certified by the regional offices of the National Revenue Agency (NAP), and a job description.
The inspectorate calls on people to report violations promptly, while they still work at the place concerned. It says that hiding the real facts about an employment relationship makes it harder for inspectors to help and to enforce the law.
Reports can be filed in person at any regional directorate, by post, by courier, through the special form on the agency's website, and through the Secure Electronic Delivery System of the Ministry of Electronic Governance.