that may or may not be legal by the country’s employment laws

What’s your union situation? Can you join a local trade union for your profession, or does it require some more permanent citizenship-thing there? Maybe it’s unhelpful for this specific problem, but join one if you can. If there’s any issues with holidays, payment, etc., they’re the ones that can help you out - they know the laws. That’s invaluable especially when you aren’t exactly sure how the local stuff works