Labour Inspectorate Checks on Posted Workers: Which Documents Are Required?
In France, every posted worker can be checked by the labour inspectorate from the very first day of the assignment. These checks cover compliance with the legal framework for posting workers to France: pay, working time and social security cover.
To respond without delay, the foreign employer must have seven specific documents ready at all times, in paper or electronic form.
- 7 mandatory documents: payslip, hours worked, health and safety, employment and service contracts, legal status, social security cover
- Local representative: the foreign company must appoint a representative in France, the official point of contact for labour inspectors
- Two types of check: a request by email or letter, or an unannounced visit to the workplace
- Travel costs excluded from the minimum wage calculation during a check
- Criminal risk: missing documents expose the foreign employer to the same penalties as a company established in France
The 7 documents to provide during a check on a posted worker in France
The labour inspectorate can request the following seven categories of documents throughout the posting:
| Document | What it must prove |
|---|---|
| Payslip or equivalent | Statutory or collectively agreed minimum wage |
| Record of hours worked | Statutory hours, rest, leave |
| Health and safety document | Preventive measures for job-related risks |
| Employment contract | One document per posted worker |
| Contract with the French company | Assignment with the client |
| Proof of legal status abroad | Legal existence in the home country |
| Proof of social security cover | A1 certificate for the EU |
A few precisions on the documents and conditions
- For a posting of under one month, a document confirming payment is enough instead of a payslip.
- Accommodation, transport and meal costs are excluded from the minimum wage calculation.
- Statutory working time is set at 35 hours a week, with a 25% increase from the 36th to the 43rd hour and 50% beyond that.
- Minimum daily rest is 11 consecutive hours. Each worker accrues 2.5 working days of leave per month of actual work.
- Preventive measures must be adapted to the risks employees may face (Covid-19 prevention, for example). Under the Labour Code, you are responsible for protecting the health and safety of your posted employees.
Documents must be available from the first day of the assignment. A check can happen at any time, without notice.
For the construction and public works sectors, the BTP card is an additional mandatory document. It is separate from the SIPSI posting declaration, which must be completed before the assignment starts.
The A1 certificate is the reference document for the social security cover of workers posted within the European Union.
Who can check a posted worker in France
The labour inspectorate has the authority to check any posted worker on French territory, regardless of the sector of activity. Inspectors act under the authority of the regional DREETS.
The foreign company posting workers to France is subject to French labour law in eleven areas:
- individual and collective freedoms
- discrimination and equal treatment between men and women
- protection of maternity
- the right to strike, working time
- paid annual leave, family-related leave
- minimum wage, including increased rates for overtime
- health and safety at work, minimum age for employment, prohibition of child labour
- contributions to certain funds (paid leave and bad weather funds)
- illegal work
- minimum wage set by the Labour Code or the collective agreement applicable to equivalent companies in France
- if your sector is covered by an extended national or local collective agreement, its provisions must be applied to the workers you post
These obligations apply whether the employer is established inside or outside the European Union.
How does a labour inspectorate check on posted workers take place
Two types of check exist.
- The first is remote: the inspectorate sends a letter or an email to the local representative appointed in France and asks for the documents to be provided within a set deadline.
- The second is an on-site visit, without notice, at the place where the service is carried out or at the French client’s premises.
In both cases, the local representative is the only point of contact for inspectors. They provide the documents, liaise with the authorities and respond to requests, in paper or electronic form.
Who must keep these documents available
Appointing a local representative based in France is a mandatory formality prior to posting. It is completed when registering on the SIPSI platform. This representative has a precise role: liaising with labour inspectors and keeping the seven documents available for the whole duration of the assignment.
For more detail on this obligation, see our article on the mandatory designation of a local representative when posting workers to France.
The client company also has an interest in checking these documents with its service provider before the assignment starts, not only the posting company itself.
What are the risks if documents are missing
A foreign employer unable to present the required documents is exposed to the same penalties as a company established in France, under the Labour Code provisions on illegal work. These offences engage the liability of the posting company. In some cases, the liability of the French client can also be engaged.
- Financial risk: a fine of up to €4,000 per non-compliant posted worker (€8,000 for a repeat offence), capped at €500,000, in addition to joint liability for unpaid wages and contributions if the service provider has not settled them.
- Operational risk: temporary administrative closure of the site.
- Reputational risk: inclusion on the blacklist of companies in cases of undeclared work, even unintentional.
In its 2025 activity report, the DGEF (Directorate-General for Foreigners in France) reported that 1,257 fine decisions were issued, for a total amount of €78.7 million.
For more on the risks linked to non-compliant posting, see our article on posting fraud and our overview of the regulations applicable to posted workers in France.
Anticipation is key to compliance
A labour inspectorate check cannot be improvised. The seven required documents must be ready before the first day of the assignment. Appointing a competent local representative, able to liaise with inspectors and provide the documents on time, reduces the risk of an offence.
A labour inspectorate check does not wait for you to be ready. France Immigration handles more than 200 posting declarations a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
The inspectorate can request seven documents: a payslip or equivalent, a record of hours worked, a health and safety document, each worker’s employment contract, the service contract with the French company, proof of legal status in the home country, and proof of social security cover (A1 certificate for EU countries). These documents must be available from the first day of the posting.
The prior declaration must be made on the SIPSI platform, before the assignment starts, to the labour inspectorate with jurisdiction over the place of the assignment. The declaration triggers an acknowledgement of receipt, a useful document for later checks.
The check can be remote, by letter or email addressed to the local representative appointed in France, or through an unannounced visit to the place where the service is carried out. In both cases, the local representative is the point of contact for inspectors and provides the required documents.
A worker posted to France is subject to French Labour Code provisions in several areas: working time, minimum wage, health and safety, social protection and illegal work. The foreign employer must have made a SIPSI declaration, appointed a local representative in France, and kept the required documents available for the whole duration of the assignment.
Posting of workers and Social Protection: what obligations apply to foreign employers?
Read the article
