illegal work
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illegal work
Paid work carried out while evading tax and social security obligations, and therefore violating legal regulations.
Die Renovierung wurde in Schwarzarbeit erledigt, um Kosten zu sparen.
The renovation was done as illegal work in order to save costs.
The word consists of 'schwarz' (black) and 'Arbeit' (work). Here, 'schwarz' has a figurative meaning and stands for 'illegal' or 'unofficial', similar to 'Schwarzmarkt' (black market).
Er hat sein Auto schwarz reparieren lassen, um Geld zu sparen.
He had his car repaired unofficially to save money.
A very common construction is the prepositional phrase 'in Schwarzarbeit' (as illegal work/under the table). Typical verbs are 'Schwarzarbeit leisten' (to do illegal work) or 'gegen Schwarzarbeit vorgehen/kämpfen' (to take action/fight against illegal work).
Die Baustelle wurde geschlossen, weil dort in Schwarzarbeit gebaut wurde.
The construction site was closed because illegal work was being done there.
'Schwarzarbeit' (illegal work) is not a neutral word. It has a clearly negative and illegal meaning, since it refers to a criminal offense or administrative offense.
Wegen Schwarzarbeit drohen hohe Strafen für Arbeitgeber und Arbeitnehmer.
Employers and employees face heavy penalties for illegal work.
