Employment law and working hours in Poland

Polish employment is governed by the Labour Code, and it sets firm rules on working time, contracts, leave, and termination that foreign employers must follow to the letter. The standard week is 40 hours. Overtime is capped at 150 hours a year. Contracts come in three defined types with limits on how fixed-term arrangements can be used. Termination is formal and must be justified in writing. The framework is protective of employees and procedurally exacting, which is where employers without local knowledge run into trouble.

This guide sets out the rules that matter most for employing in Poland in 2026. For how the employment relationship is set up, see our guide to hiring in Poland with an Employer of Record, and for the financial side, our tax guide for Poland.

The standard working week in Poland is 40 hours, made up of 8 hours a day across five days. Working time cannot exceed 8 hours in any 24-hour period under standard arrangements, and the average 40-hour week is measured over a reference period of up to four months. Opting beyond the 8-hour daily limit is possible at the employee’s written request or under a defined alternative working-time system.

Total working time, including overtime, cannot exceed an average of 48 hours a week in the settlement period, in line with the EU Working Time Directive. Because of the mandatory 11 hours of continuous daily rest, working time including overtime generally cannot exceed 13 hours in a day.

Work between 21:00 and 07:00 is night work. An employee who works at least three hours in that window in any 24 hours, or whose role places at least a quarter of working time at night, is a night worker, and night hours attract a supplement of 20% of the minimum hourly wage for each hour worked.

Overtime is defined as work beyond 8 hours a day or beyond the average 40-hour week, and it is capped at 150 hours per calendar year. Overtime on a regular day attracts a supplement of 50% of normal pay, and overtime at night, on Sundays, or on public holidays attracts a 100% supplement. Instead of the supplement, the employer can grant time off in lieu.

Employees who work on a Sunday or public holiday are entitled to another day off, and where the employer fails to provide a day off owed under the five-day-week rule, the employee is entitled to an additional 100% payment for each hour worked. Employers must keep individual working-time records for every employee, on paper or electronically.

Poland recognises three contract types. A trial-period contract runs for a maximum of three months and is used to assess the employee. A fixed-term contract covers a defined period. An indefinite contract is open-ended and carries the strongest protection.

Fixed-term use is limited. An employer can conclude a maximum of three consecutive fixed-term contracts with the same employee, up to a combined 33 months. Exceeding either the count or the duration converts the relationship automatically into an indefinite contract. This rule prevents the indefinite use of rolling fixed terms and is a common trap for employers who assume fixed-term contracts can be renewed freely.

Annual leave depends on seniority. An employee with less than 10 years of qualifying experience is entitled to 20 working days of paid leave a year, rising to 26 working days at 10 years or more. The seniority calculation includes not only previous employment but also periods of secondary and higher education, so a graduate professional often reaches the 26-day tier earlier than their work history alone would suggest. Leave is intended to be taken as paid time off rather than cashed out. Pay levels that sit alongside these entitlements are covered in our guide to minimum wage and salary in Poland.

Sick leave in Poland is generous, with sick pay available for up to 182 days. Parents raising at least one child under 14 are entitled to two days, or 16 hours, of paid childcare leave per calendar year at full pay, usable by one parent and not carried over if unused. The full detail sits in our country guide to leave in Poland.

Termination in Poland is a formal process. A declaration to end the contract from either party must be in writing. Where the employer terminates, the notice must inform the employee of their right to appeal to the Labour Court, and a termination without notice, or a notice on an indefinite contract, must include written justification.

Notice periods scale with length of service. When employment ends, the employer must issue a Certificate of Employment and deregister the worker from ZUS. The procedural requirements are strict, and a termination that fails to meet them can be challenged at the Labour Court, which is why this is the area where foreign employers most often need specialist support. Our country guide to termination in Poland covers the detail.

The rules above are protective and procedurally demanding rather than unusually harsh. The fixed-term conversion limit, the seniority-based leave calculation, and the requirement for written and justified termination are all easy to get wrong from outside the country, and the consequences, from automatic contract conversion to a Labour Court challenge, fall on the employer.

Employing through an Employer of Record removes that exposure. The provider is the legal employer, applies the Labour Code correctly, manages contracts and leave, and handles termination to the required standard. For most companies hiring a small team in Poland, that is the cleanest way to stay compliant without building in-country HR expertise.