Created on 28.03.2025
The Executive Agency "General Labor Inspectorate" is a state body that protects the rights of workers in Bulgaria. If you work under an employment contract and think that your employer is violating your rights, you can always report this to the General Labor Inspectorate.
In this article, you will learn more about when you can contact the General Labor Inspectorate and how to prepare and submit your report.
I. When can I contact the Executive Agency "General Labor Inspectorate"?
If you work under an employment contract in Bulgaria, you can report to the Executive Agency "General Labor Inspectorate" for any violation of your rights by your employer, for example:
• If the employer does not pay your salary on time;
• If the employer does not pay your salary in full;
• If the employer forces you to work extra hours outside of your working hours. Overtime work in Bulgaria is prohibited and is only allowed in certain cases according to the Labor Code, and is always compensated. ;
• If the employer refuses to sign an employment contract with you, but expects you to work for them;
• If the employer does not provide healthy and safe working conditions, etc.;
You can report to the Executive Agency "General Labor Inspectorate" anything that you believe violates your rights as a worker. If you doubt whether the employer's behavior is legal, for example whether they legally order you to work overtime, you can always contact a lawyer for assistance.
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II. What information should I provide to the Executive Agency "General Labor Inspectorate"?
First of all, you must include information about yourself - your name, date of birth, personal identification number (LNCH/EGN), address where you live, telephone number and/or email address. The Labor Inspectorate will keep your name confidential and will not reveal it to the employer.
Next, you must include information about your employer – name or company name, company universal identification code (Bulstat), if you know it, the address where you work.
If you do not have complete information about your employer, you can describe everything you know about them in as much detail as possible.
Important! In the text of the report, you must describe in detail the behavior of your employer and why you believe that your rights as a worker have been violated. For example: describe for which months you did not receive a salary or it was in a lower amount; describe about the working conditions and why they endanger your health; describe when the employer forced you to work overtime and was there any compensation for this, etc.
The more detailed you describe the situation, the better the Labor Inspectorate can conduct an inspection.
Important! If you have evidence of the violation of your rights, you must describe it in the report and attach it to it as copies (not originals!). Such evidence can be, for example: a statement from your bank account, that shows which months you received a salary and which months you did not, receipts and pay slips, etc.
If you do not have written evidence, you can describe whether there were any witnesses to your employer's behavior and indicate their names.
The more information and evidence you provide to the Labor Inspectorate, the greater the chance that the employer's violations will be revealed.
You can write the report in free text or use this template.
III. How do I file a report with the Executive Agency "General Labor Inspectorate"?
There are several ways to file a report with the Labor Inspectorate:
• At an office of the Labor Inspectorate at your address - the report is submitted on paper, signed by you. Addresses of the Labor Inspectorate offices in the country can be found here;
• Electronically through the Labor Inspectorate website - in this case, the report must be signed with a qualified electronic signature;
• By mail or by courier to an office of the Labor Inspectorate;
• On the national phone number of the Labor Inspectorate – 0700 17 670 or on the announced contact numbers of the Labor Inspectorate directorates in the regional cities, which you will find here.
In your report, you can indicate how you want to receive the Labor Inspectorate’s response:
• on site at the Labor Inspectorate office in person or by an authorized person;
• by mail to the specified correspondence address;
• by courier at your expense to the specified correspondence address;
• signed with an electronic signature on your e-mail;
• signed with an electronic signature on your profile in the System for Secure Electronic Delivery of the Ministry of e-Government. In order to create a profile in this system, you must have a qualified electronic signature or a NRA PIC.
IV. What are the consequences of reporting to the Labor Inspectorate?
The Labor Inspectorate will conduct an inspection based on your report and may:
• Conduct on-site inspections at the employer;
• Request any documents from the employer regarding the employed workers, including accounting documents;
• Conduct inspections at the National Revenue Agency and other state bodies;
• Contact you to obtain additional information, if necessary, etc.
If the Labor Inspectorate finds that the employer has violated your rights, it may impose a fine or a property penalty on them.
The Labor Inspectorate may also issue a mandatory order for the employer - what and within what period he must do, e.g. pay you your salary, etc.
If you have worked without d signed employment contract and report to the Labor Inspectorate while you are still working for the employer, a mandatory order will be issued to them to conclude an employment contract with you.
Important! In order for the Labor Inspectorate to protect your rights, it is important that you work under an employment contract and that the working conditions are described in it, not agreed verbally with the employer. For more information about your rights as a worker, see our article Workers' Rights in Bulgaria.
We advise you to contact a lawyer who will protect your interests if you have any questions or need to file a report with the Labor Inspectorate.
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