Construction site checks, the EU squeeze on posting
Checks on posted workers in construction are now coordinated at European level. From 9 to 17 March 2026 the European Labour Authority led an action week dedicated to construction that reached 128 companies in fourteen Member States, Italy included. The results, published in May, show precisely where inspectors look.
What happened on European sites in March 2026
The action week inspected 27 construction sites, interviewing 410 workers with 144 enforcement officers in the field. Seven host countries took part, Italy among them, while visiting inspectors came from eleven administrations, the Italian one included. Inspectors from one State enter sites in another together with local colleagues, bringing information on companies from home.
The pace is now steady. In June 2025 a similar operation reached 137 companies and 19 sites across twelve States, interviewing 570 workers. June 2026 brought seven concerted inspections focused on pay, and August the first action week on transnational temporary work agencies, 70 companies and around 2,800 workers across fourteen States. Whoever brings labour on site through foreign agencies is watched on two fronts.
Why construction is the most inspected sector
European construction counts around thirteen million workers in three million companies and has the highest number of posted workers. Long subcontracting chains, temporary agencies and a growing share of third-country nationals make it the focus of the EU4FairConstruction campaign and of coordinated inspection weeks.
Published outcomes show the stakes. In the 2025 cycle, in one host country alone, ten employers were served notices for undeclared pay, under-declared hours and missing payslips, with potential fines in the range of one hundred thousand euros. In 2026 fines for work without a contract have already been issued.
What inspectors look for when they enter a site
The 2026 cycle focused on non-genuine postings, letterbox companies with no real activity in their country of establishment, bogus self-employment, pay below host-country standards, irregular employment of third-country nationals and safety breaches.
The Italian approach follows the same test, inspection bodies make an overall assessment of all the elements of the case (Article 3(1), Legislative Decree 136/2016). No single document is a shield. What counts is the whole picture, from the company's substance at home to daily reality on site.
Why this matters to companies posting workers to Italy
Italy took part on both sides, hosting inspections and sending its own inspectors abroad. Administrations exchange data and findings, so an irregularity found on a foreign site can trigger checks on ongoing postings in Italy, and the reverse is equally possible.
For a foreign company on an Italian site the practical consequence is one. Prior declaration, contact person domiciled in Italy, documentation file and pay compliance must be in order before the inspector arrives, because fines are calculated per worker and defence deadlines run from service on the contact person, not from when head office learns of it. The duties are summarised in our guide to the six obligations of foreign employers.
Frequently asked questions
Do EU coordinated inspections also cover Italian sites?
Yes. Italy takes part in ELA action weeks both as a host country and by sending its own inspectors abroad, and non-genuine postings remain a stated national enforcement priority.
What does a foreign company risk if a site posting is not genuine?
Beyond fines calculated per worker, the worker is deemed for all purposes an employee of the party that used the work, with effects on both companies involved.
We assist foreign companies before and during inspections on Italian sites. Write to us for a preventive review of your position.
Informative content, updated 1 September 2026. Legal quotations are courtesy translations, the Italian text prevails. Every actual case requires a dedicated review.