Employing in Poland

Famous for its marketplaces and old towns, Poland also has a vast selection of forests, lakes and mountains to offer and boasts a strong central position within Europe. From the northerly golden beaches of the Baltic Sea and the southern mountain borders between the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the Oder River bordering Germany in the west and the romantic landscapes of Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania in the east, Poland is well placed for doing business.

Over the years, Poland’s large and attractive internal market has become a key point of interest for investors — not only for Central and Eastern Europe but also for the whole of Europe and the world.

Today, there are several multinationals based in the country as well as major local companies.

Thanks to its central location, Poland provides a mix of Western and Eastern European cultures, ideal for global businesses looking to tap into both sides of the continent. Although Polish is the official language, the country also has one of the highest rates of English as a second language in the world, helping to facilitate cross-country communications.

An Overview of Employing in Poland

Salary currency

Polish złoty (zł)

Salary pay date

Salaries in Poland are usually paid monthly, no later than the 10th day of the following month.

Salary

The minimum wage in Poland is zł 2,800 per month or zł 18.30 per hour.

Bonus

Any variable salary including bonuses and compensation should be outlined in the contract of employment.

Healthcare

Poland has a mixed public and private healthcare system. It’s compulsory for employees to pay 9% of their gross salary towards healthcare.

Employer Costs

Contribution
Employee
Employer
Retirement pension contribution
9.76%
9.76%
Pension contribution
1.5%
6.5%
Sickness contribution
2.45%
N/A
Disability pension
N/A
from 0.67% to 3.3%
Health insurance
9%
N/A
Employment fund
N/A
2.45%
Fund of Guaranteed
N/A
0.1%

An Overview of the Main Statutory Benefits

healthcare
Pension & Sickness

An employer is required to pay 9.76% of the employee’s gross salary towards their pension on a monthly basis.
An employee is required to pay 9.76% of their gross salary towards their pension on a monthly basis.

Sickness:

  • Any employee aged 50 years old or younger is entitled to up to 33 sick days per year paid by the employer (after 33 days, social security will make the payments).

  • If an employee is older than 50 years old, they’re only entitled to 14 sick days paid by the employer. All days over that will be paid by social security.

  • Sick leave pay is paid at 80% of the employees’ normal salary or 100% if the illness occurred during pregnancy or a work-related accident.
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Maternity & paternity

Maternity leave

All women in Poland are entitled to 20 weeks of maternity leave. Up to six weeks can be taken before the delivery. The mother can transfer up to six weeks of her maternity leave to the father.

Paternity leave

All men are entitled to two weeks paternity leave which can be taken all at once or in two seven-day stints. This can be used anytime up until the child is 24 months.

Parental leave

In addition to paternity and maternity leave, there are 36 months of parental leave. This time is unpaid and can be taken up until the end of the calendar year in which the child turns six years old. 34 months of this time can be allocated between the mother and the father however they choose, while one month is directly allocated to the father and one month is directly allocated to the mother.

Contractual Provisions

pay
Contract of employment

Electronic contracts are recognised by Polish law. A person’s intent can be expressed by any action, including in an electronic form (declaration of intent) (Article 60 Civil Code).

quality
Probationary period

A probationary period in Poland cannot be longer than three months for regular employees and no longer than six months for chief officers. The probationary period cannot be longer than 50% of the employment contract.

access
Working hours & Overtime

Full-time employment in Poland is considered an average of eight hours a day and 40 hours per week. Employers are required to keep accurate records of working hours to ensure an employee’s average working hours do not exceed this.

Overtime is paid at 150% of the employee’s normal rate. If the overtime the employee is required to work is at night, on a Sunday, on a public holiday or any day that was meant to be non-working, then overtime must be paid at 200% of the normal rate.

self-service
Rest breaks

Employees who have worked a continuous six hours are entitled to a 15-minute break.
If an employee works at a computer, they’re entitled to a five-minute break every hour.
Many employees give their employees an hour break per day, but this is not required by law.

Termination

Any employment contract can be terminated at any time if both parties agree.

Either the employee or the employer has the right to issue a ‘statement of will’ to end the employment contract. As long as the notice periods are adhered to, no specific reason is required.

If the contract is expiring, then the contract can be ended with no requirements.

Notice Periods

Length of employment
Notice period
Six months or less
Two weeks
More than six months, less than three years
One month
More than three years
Three months

Severance Pay

Severance pay is only required to be paid if the employer in question has a total of 20 or more employees at the time of dismissal and it’s through their fault that the contract is coming to an early end.

Length of employment
Severance pay entitlement
Two years or less
Two weeks
Two to eight years
Two months’ salary
Eight years +
Three months’ salary

Holiday Entitlement

Holiday entitlement in Poland is accrued based on tenure inclusive of all periods of employment and upper secondary education and is not specific to the current employer.

  • If an employee has been ‘employed’ for less than 10 years, they’re entitled to 20 days of holiday
  • If they’ve been ‘employed’ for longer than 10 years, they’re entitled to 26 days of holiday

Employees are able to divide their leave, but at least one part of the leave must be taken as 14 consecutive days (including weekends). A maximum of four of the leave days may be used as ‘leave on-demand’, pursuant to Polish Labour Law. Employers are obliged to grant these four days provided that the employee requests permission no later than on the day of its commencement. Employers may only refuse to grant this leave in special circumstances.

Accrued leave must be used by 30 September of the following calendar year. Should there be any outstanding leave upon termination, employees are entitled to cash remuneration.

In addition to statutory leave, there are 13 public holidays. If a public holiday falls on a Saturday, the employee is entitled to an additional day of paid leave. This rule does not apply if a public holiday falls on a Sunday.

 

Public Holidays 2021

Date
Holiday
Friday 1 January
New Year’s Day
Wednesday 6 January
Epiphany
Sunday 4 April
Easter Sunday
Monday 5 April
Easter Monday
Saturday 1 May
Labour Day/May Day
Monday 3 May
Constitution Day
Sunday 23 May
Whit Sunday
Thursday 3 June
Corpus Christi
Sunday 15 August
Assumption Day
Monday 1 November
All Saints’ Day
Thursday 11 November
Independence Day
Saturday 25 December
Christmas Day
Sunday 26 December
Second Day of Christmas

Public Holidays 2022

Date
Holiday
Saturday 1 January
New Year’s Day
Thursday 6 January
Epiphany
Sunday 17 April
Easter Sunday
Monday 18 April
Easter Monday
Sunday 1 May
Labour Day/May Day
Tuesday 3 May
Constitution Day
Sunday 5 June
Whit Sunday
Thursday 16 June
Corpus Christi
Monday 15 August
Assumption Day
Tuesday 1 November
All Saints’ Day
Friday 11 November
Independence Day
Sunday 25 December
Christmas Day
Monday 26 December
Second Day of Christmas

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