PIP inspection: whom it concerns, what the inspector can check and how it works
Short answer
A labour inspector may inspect any employer and, in the area of occupational health and safety (BHP), legality of employment and civil-law contracts concluded instead of employment contracts, also a business that does not employ anyone on an employment contract, if natural persons have worked for it in the last year (Article 13(1) of the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate). An inspection may take place without prior notice, at any time of the day or night (Article 24(1)). From 8.07.2026 an inspection or individual inspection activities may also be carried out remotely (Article 26(5)-(8)). The inspector has broad powers, and the inspected entity must provide the conditions for the inspector's work (Articles 23 and 27).
In this guide: Scope of a PIP inspection, without notice or remote, the inspector's powers, the company's duties, ID card and authorisation. Law as at 15.10.2026.
Who this applies to
Employers and businesses that may be visited by an inspector of the National Labour Inspectorate (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy, PIP), and the people who represent them during an inspection. Also subject to inspection are, among others, employment agencies, businesses covered by the Sunday trading ban, and entities for which mandates or services were performed, as regards payment of the minimum hourly rate (Article 13(2)-(5) of the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate).
What to do
- Check the inspector's identity. An inspection is carried out after an official ID card is shown (Article 24(2) of the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate). At a business, the inspector also shows an authorisation to inspect (Article 24(3)). If the circumstances justify starting the inspection immediately, the ID card is enough, and the authorisation must be served no later than within 7 days (Article 24(5)).
- Designate a contact person and a workspace for the inspector. You must provide the conditions and means for an efficient inspection: present the documents requested without delay, ensure that information is provided on time, make technical equipment available and, where possible, a separate room (Article 27).
- Prepare the documents. The inspector may request personnel files and any documents related to the performance of work, on paper or in electronic form, including those concerning people on civil-law contracts (Article 23(1)(5)). Details are in the guide Which documents to prepare for a PIP inspection? A list with the legal basis.
- Do not obstruct the activities. Obstructing the activities of a PIP authority, in particular preventing an inspection visit or failing to provide information, is a petty offence under Article 283 § 2(8) of the Labour Code (Kodeks pracy, KP). According to the PIP, you also cannot refuse to provide information on the grounds of personal data protection.
- Read the report before signing. The findings go into the report. Before signing, you may submit reasoned objections in writing within 7 days of the report being presented (Article 31(4)-(5)). What happens next is described in the guide PIP report, order, post-inspection recommendations, instruction and decision: how do they differ?
What the inspector can check
The tasks of the PIP mainly include (Article 10(1) of the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate):
- compliance with labour law, in particular health and safety, the provisions on the employment relationship, pay, working time, leave, parental rights, and the employment of young workers and people with disabilities (point 1),
- legality of employment and other paid work (point 3), including that of foreign nationals (point 4),
- payment of remuneration in the amount resulting from the minimum hourly rate (point 15b),
- obligations related to employee capital plans (PPK) (point 15d).
The PIP also supervises the health and safety conditions of people working on a basis other than an employment relationship and of self-employed people at a place designated by the employer or business (Article 10(2)(1)). According to the PIP website, the inspector also checks whether the measures from previous inspections have been implemented.
The inspector's powers (Article 23(1) of the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate)
- free entry to the site, buildings and premises; the inspector does not need a pass and is not subject to a personal search (Article 26(4)),
- inspection of buildings, workstations, machinery and the course of work, and recording them by image and sound (points 2 and 7),
- requiring an online transmission for the inspection of documents, hearings and questioning, in justified cases (point 2a, from 8.07.2026),
- requiring written and oral information from the company and from current and former employees and co-workers, including the self-employed, and questioning them (point 3),
- requiring technical documentation, results of tests and measurements, and samples of materials (point 4),
- making extracts, copies, summaries and calculations from documents and, where necessary, requiring them from the company (point 8),
- checking the identity of people working or present on the premises and requiring statements on the legality of employment (point 9),
- using the help of expert witnesses, specialists and accredited laboratories (point 10).
Exceptions and caveats
- Without notice, but usually with announcement on arrival. Before the activities, the inspector announces their presence, unless this could affect the outcome of the inspection (Article 26(3)). According to the PIP, the inspector may also announce the inspection in advance by phone, in writing or by email.
- Place of inspection. The inspection takes place at the company's registered office and at other places where tasks are performed or financial and HR documents are kept. The inspector may carry out some activities at the PIP's premises (Article 26(1)-(2)).
- Remote inspection. It is permitted in justified cases if it does not conflict with the purpose of the inspection and may make it more efficient, or if the nature of the business favours it. It is carried out via a postal operator or by means of electronic communication (Article 26(5)). The ID card is then shown and the authorisation is sent electronically (paragraph 7). The remote form does not limit the inspector's powers (paragraph 6).
- An employee's complaint remains confidential. The inspector does not disclose that the inspection results from a complaint, unless the complainant gives written consent (Article 44(3)). The inspector may also rule that the data of a person providing information be kept confidential. The employer may file an interlocutory appeal (zażalenie) within 3 days with the District Labour Inspector (Article 23(2)-(4)).
- New ID card only from 2027. Order No. 12 of the Marshal of the Sejm of 21.09.2026 (M.P. 2026 item 939) sets a new template for the ID card, but it enters into force on 1.01.2027 (§ 4). Until then the previous template applies. ID cards issued earlier remain valid for no longer than one year from the entry into force of the order (§ 2). The new ID card is a plastic card in ID-1 format with a photo, number, first name, surname, position, area of operation, expiry date and QR code (annex to the order).
- Advice instead of sanctions. For an employer starting a business, if there is no direct threat to life or health and no intentional petty offence, the inspector may in justified cases limit themselves to oral advice and a statement of the deadline for remedying the shortcomings (Article 37a).
- Inspections started before 8.07.2026 are conducted under the previous provisions (Article 13 of the Act of 11.03.2026).
- Entrepreneurs' Law. In Article 37b, the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate refers to certain provisions on inspections in the Entrepreneurs' Law (Prawo przedsiębiorców). This guide does not discuss to what extent these provisions apply to PIP inspections. If in doubt, ask the inspector for the legal basis or consult a lawyer.
Example
Assumptions: a one-person construction business does not employ anyone on an employment contract. Until February 2026 it worked with two people on contracts of mandate (umowa zlecenia), and currently with no one. The inspector starts the inspection on 15.10.2026.
The business is not an employer, but natural persons worked for it in the year before the inspection began. It is therefore subject to inspection in the area of health and safety, legality of employment and the conclusion of civil-law contracts in conditions typical of an employment contract (Article 13(1)). The inspector may request the contracts of mandate and documents related to their performance and may question the former contractors (Article 23(1)(3) and (5)).
Documents and deadlines
| Step | Deadline or rule | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Service of the authorisation when the inspection was started on the basis of the ID card | no later than 7 days from the start of the inspection | Article 24(5) of the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate |
| Objections to the report | in writing, 7 days from the report being presented | Article 31(5) |
| Interlocutory appeal against keeping a witness's identity confidential | 3 days from service of the ruling | Article 23(4) |
| New ID card template | from 1.01.2027 | § 4 of the order, M.P. 2026 item 939 |
Frequently asked questions
Can the inspector inspect people working B2B?
Yes, as regards the conclusion of contracts in conditions typical of an employment contract. The inspection may cover a business for which people running a business work or have worked in the last year (Article 13(1)). See How the PIP establishes an employment relationship: inspection, instruction and OIP decision step by step.
What are the consequences of violations found?
The inspector may issue orders (nakaz), post-inspection recommendations (wystąpienie) or instructions (polecenie), and for petty offences impose a fixed penalty notice (mandat) or file a request for punishment with the court. The amounts are described in the guide Fixed penalty notice and fine for violating employee rights: how much are they and what if you refuse?
Related guides
- Which documents to prepare for a PIP inspection? A list with the legal basis
- PIP report, order, post-inspection recommendations, instruction and decision: how do they differ?
- Fixed penalty notice and fine for violating employee rights: how much are they and what if you refuse?
- How the PIP establishes an employment relationship: inspection, instruction and OIP decision step by step
Sources (documents in Polish)
- Ustawa o Państwowej Inspekcji Pracy, tekst ujednolicony ISAP (stan 2026-07-31)
- Ustawa z 11.03.2026 o zmianie ustawy o PIP, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 473
- Zarządzenie nr 12 Marszałka Sejmu z 21.09.2026 w sprawie wzoru legitymacji służbowej pracownika PIP, M.P. 2026 poz. 939
- Metadane ELI M.P. 2026 poz. 939
- Kodeks pracy, t.j. Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1245
- PIP: Jak przygotować się do kontroli?
Sources checked on 15 October 2026. Law as at 15 October 2026.
Change history
- 15 October 2026: First publication.
This guide is for information only. The current legal provisions and the information of the National Labour Inspectorate apply. An independent information website. We are not the National Labour Inspectorate (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy).