As part of the workshop programme of ELMC 2026, participants had the opportunity to explore one of the most practical aspects of cross-border service provision: understanding the true cost of employing and posting workers across the European Union.
During the workshop led by Marta Zięba-Szklarska from Count’em, participants were encouraged to look beyond salary calculations and social security contributions when assessing the profitability of international projects. The session focused on identifying the hidden costs and regulatory obligations that are often overlooked during the planning stage of cross-border operations.
The discussion covered four key pillars influencing the actual cost of international employment:
- employment,
- social security,
- taxation,
- work authorisation and compliance.
Participants were invited to test their own assumptions and verify whether their calculations reflected the full range of obligations arising from cross-border service provision.
A central message of the workshop was that the most expensive mistakes are often not related to labour costs themselves, but to underestimated compliance requirements, tax consequences or work authorisation obligations. In practice, overlooking these factors can significantly affect the profitability and operational viability of a project.
The session highlighted the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to workforce mobility and ensuring that commercial decisions are based on a realistic assessment of both costs and regulatory responsibilities.
📸 A few moments from the workshop can be found in the gallery below.
