A four-hour contract for an eight-hour day: what Romanian law says and what you can do

The job ad says “full time”. The contract says 4 hours. The real schedule is 8, sometimes 10. The difference is paid in cash or not at all. For many people in retail, construction, hospitality or security, this is not an isolated case but the normal shape of a first job.

For the employer, the sum seems simple: lower contributions, flexibility, no risk. For you, the cost comes later: a pension calculated on 4 hours, smaller sick pay and benefits, a refused loan and, above all, no proof that you worked that much.

What the law says

The Labour Code is clear. An employment contract must be concluded in writing, in Romanian, at the latest on the day before work starts, and that obligation lies with the employer. A part-time contract must state the working hours and schedule, and it contains a ban on overtime, except in cases of force majeure or urgent work to prevent accidents. If these elements are missing, the contract is treated as full-time.

More importantly, the Labour Code explicitly defines as undeclared work having an employee work beyond the hours set in a part-time contract. It is not a grey area. It falls in the same legal category as working with no contract at all.

What the employer risks

• Beyond the hours of a part-time contract: a fine of 10,000 to 15,000 lei per person, up to 200,000 lei in total.
• No written contract: 40,000 lei per person, up to 1,000,000 lei. The amount was doubled by Law no. 239/2025, in force since 18 December 2025.
• Not registered in the national employee register (Revisal) by the day before work starts: 20,000 lei per person.
• A net salary higher than the one on the payroll, meaning cash in an envelope: 8,000 to 10,000 lei per employee.

For work with no contract or no registration, the labour inspector can also suspend the business until the employer pays the fine and regularises its staff. The fines are imposed on the employer, not the worker.

What you can do

• Collect evidence, quietly and early. Timesheets, photos of the posted schedule, messages about shifts, records of when you clock in and out, names of colleagues who can confirm. Note your hours every day in a notebook or an app.
• Report it to the Territorial Labour Inspectorate in your county. You can file in writing or online and ask for your identity to be kept confidential. Inspectors can carry out unannounced checks.
• Claim the money in court. For unpaid wages you have 3 years from the date they were due. Employment disputes are free of court fees, and the employer must prove its defence with its own documents.
• You are protected if you complain. The Labour Code bans adverse treatment of an employee who files a complaint or starts proceedings to defend their rights. If you are disciplined or dismissed for it, you can ask a court for compensation and to cancel the measure.

A question we often hear

“If I report it, will I lose out too?” The law does not penalise you for undeclared work. The real risk is different: losing the job. That is why evidence gathered in advance matters, and so does the 3-year deadline, which lets you act even after you leave that employer.

This guide explains the law in force on the date it was checked. It is not a substitute for advice from a lawyer or the labour inspectorate on your own situation.