At the beginning of October 2025, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the European Labour Authority (ELA) jointly launched a new practical guide designed to support labour inspectors in identifying and addressing labour exploitation in the workplace.

The guide applies to several categories of workers, including EU nationals and citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland in exercising their right to work, and it details services across the EU. It also covers third-country nationals, i.e., workers employed in the EU who do not hold the nationality of an EU Member State or one of the other above-mentioned countries.

A key objective of the guide is to help workers better understand, claim, and effectively enjoy their rights throughout the EU. It focuses on protecting EU citizens working outside their home country as well as non-EU nationals employed in EU Member States. The publication provides labour inspectors with clear and practical tools, e.g.:

• Explanations of the various forms of labour exploitation;
• An overview of foreign workers’ rights under EU law;
• Guidance on conducting interviews with workers;
• Indicators for identifying potential cases of exploitation;
• Advice on supporting victims of labour exploitation.

In addition, the guide includes a dedicated training manual for labour inspectors and reports on labour exploitation.