Who holds responsibility for hygiene standards during handling and delivery?
Cojocariu Eugen, 07.08.2026, 17:29
The Employers’ Confederation of Labour Importers argues that the responsibility for maintaining hygiene standards during delivery rests with employers and the companies using these delivery services, not with the frontline workers at the operational level. The federation has taken a firm stand against recent public claims holding foreign delivery couriers accountable for substandard delivery hygiene.
According to the Labour Inspectorate, over 10,600 non-EU citizens hold work permits as couriers and delivery workers in Romania in 2026. This courier or delivery worker position has become one of the top labour shortage occupations driving local employers toward non-EU international recruitment. This upward trend reflects a widening labour deficit in the logistics and delivery sector in recent years, the employers’ federation emphasizes.
Employers must take full responsibility for the working conditions they establish for their employees. Hygiene regulations, work equipment, and delivery transport procedures are defined and provided by the companies, not by workers. It is unjust to automatically blame foreign workers or recruitment agencies whenever an issue arises, when, in reality, these individuals are frontline employees simply adhering to company rules, said the President of the Employers’ Confederation, Romulus Badea. He emphasized that employer accountability is the standard practice across other industries, and there is no reason why it should not apply to foreign delivery workers and couriers. As employees of delivery companies or platforms, they strictly follow the rules imposed by companies, Badea noted.
The employers’ association emphasizes that unfounded generalizations about foreign workers’ hygiene standards only deflect attention from the true accountability of employers and delivery platforms. These are legally obligated to establish, monitor, and enforce clear hygiene and safety protocols throughout order preparation and delivery.
