Working through an agency: what rights do you have, and what are you signing?

Short answer: when you work through a temporary staffing agency (agencja pracy tymczasowej), your formal employer is the agency — it signs your contract, pays your wages, and remits your social security contributions, while your day-to-day work happens at the client company (e.g., a warehouse). You're entitled to a written contract before you start, on-time pay, medical checks, BHP (health and safety) training, and treatment no worse than permanent employees in a similar role.

Who's who: the agency and the host employer

You sign your contract with the agency, and the agency is responsible for your pay, contributions, and paperwork. The company where you physically work (the so-called host employer, pracodawca użytkownik) directs your day-to-day work and is responsible for a safe workstation. If something's off — you go to the agency about pay, and to your supervisor on the floor about workstation issues, while a good agency gives you a dedicated contact who can help with either.

Your basic rights

• A written contract before you start work — never begin on a verbal promise, without a signed document.
• A clearly stated rate and pay date — the amount from the job ad should match the contract.
• Medical checks and BHP (health and safety) training before your first shift — their cost can't be pushed onto you.
• Equal treatment — working conditions no worse than permanent employees in an equivalent role.
• Annual leave — a temporary worker is entitled to paid leave; the agency explains the rules when you sign.
• Zero fees for finding you a job — a legal agency never charges a candidate for recruitment.

What to check before signing the contract

• The agency's KRAZ number — a legal agency is listed in the public register (stor.praca.gov.pl, Krajowy Rejestr Agencji Zatrudnienia). Veln: KRAZ 32854.
• The type of contract and the rate — do they match what was said in the job ad and the conversation.
• The exact place and hours of work — site name, address, shift system.
• Payment terms — date, account, any night-shift or weekend allowances.
• Contact details for your dedicated contact — who you call when something's wrong.

Red flags — when to walk away

• Someone asks you to pay for 'arranging the job,' for documents, or for equipment before you even start.
• No contract before your first day, or a promise of 'paperwork later.'
• The rate in the contract doesn't match the job ad.
• The agency can't give you a KRAZ number, or it isn't in the register.
• Nobody can tell you exactly where and during what hours you'll be working.

How this works at Veln

The rate and location are stated plainly in every job ad, you sign your contract and documents online before you start, and you track your application status live on your phone. Once you start, you have a dedicated team contact — a real person, not a call center. Current openings are at myveln.com/praca.