Labour ministry fines employers €25,000 over undeclared workers

The labour ministry’s inspectors identified four undeclared employees in the education sector and nine in retail businesses, imposing fines totalling €25,000.

In the education sector, inspectors carried out checks at 63 premises, identifying 40 employers and 23 self-employed individuals among a total workforce of 211 people, made up of 25 men and 186 women.

Of those employed, 153 were Greek Cypriots, 40 were EU citizens and 18 were third-country nationals.

Four undeclared salaried employees were identified, leading to the issuance of two administrative fines amounting to €16,500.

Meanwhile, in retail businesses, inspectors checked 202 premises and identified 188 employers and 14 self-employed individuals among a total workforce of 617 employees, including 205 men and 412 women.

Of those workers, 405 were Greek Cypriots, 108 EU citizens, one Turkish Cypriot and 103 third-country nationals.

Nine undeclared employees were found in the sector, with eight administrative fines issued amounting to €8,500.

The inspection service said that under existing legislation, employers face an administrative fine of €1,000 for each undeclared employee for the month in which the violation is detected, increasing by €500 for each additional month over a six-month period.

For repeat offences within two years, the fine rises to €2,000 for a second violation and €3,000 for a third and subsequent offences.

An anonymous or named complaint about undeclared work or employment breaches can be made via the Cyprus-wide hotline 77778577.