Customs is looking for illegal workers in the building cleaning industry - personal surveys revealed evidence

As part of a focus examination, the financial control of illegal work is in use.

The building cleaning industry was controlled.

Regensburg - How big is the problem of illegal work in the building cleaning industry?

This is what the financial control of illegal employment (FKS) of the main customs office in Regensburg * wanted to find out last Wednesday (June 9) as part of a nationwide focus test.

To this end, the FKS controlled several companies in the building cleaning industry.

A total of 49 employees were on duty and checked employers and employees of 26 companies. 

Regensburg: FKS conducts 120 personal surveys - 16 references

According to a press release from the main customs office in Regensburg, the aim of the inspection was to ensure compliance with social security obligations and the legal payment of the legally stipulated minimum wage, as well as to uncover the unlawful receipt of social benefits such as unemployment benefits I and II and the illegal employment of foreigners. 

In the course of the inspection, the employees of the VCS in Regensburg, Hof * and Weiden carried out around 120 personal surveys.

In the 26 companies checked, there were a total of 16 indications of irregularities in the payment of the minimum wage and the payment of social security contributions, according to the announcement.

Further investigations are still ongoing. 

Regensburg: The building cleaning industry has problems with illegal work 

In hardly any other industry is the proportion of marginal employment as high as in building cleaning.

It is also one of the busiest industries.

For this reason, the customs authorities place a particularly high focus on building cleaning companies in the fight against illegal employment.  

Since April 1, 2021, the Eighth Ordinance on Compulsory Working Conditions in Building Cleaning and thus a nationwide minimum wage has been in effect, also for all employers who are not bound by the minimum wage collective agreement, including those from an employer based abroad be posted to Germany. 

In addition to minimum wage violations, experience has shown that criminal proceedings often occur in the building cleaning industry due to the withholding and misappropriation of wages, since, for example, travel times from one property to the next or changing and set-up times are not counted as working time.