falsos recibos verdes
Published 5 November 2026, 06:07
falsos recibos verdes (employment disguised as self-employment)
The name for cases where someone who is in fact an employee — working on someone else’s premises, with someone else’s tools and to someone else’s schedule — is set up as a self-employed contractor and asked to issue invoices. Under article 12 of the Labour Code, such a relationship counts as employment, whatever the document is called.
Where you come across it. Jobs in cafés, kitchens, on building sites and in offices where you are offered “work on recibos” instead of an employment contract.
For the employer this is a very serious offence, and if repeated it also means losing state support and the right to bid for public contracts for up to two years.
Official website: diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/lei/2009-34546475