Statutory notice period
The minimum notice an employer must give. Contracts and collective agreements can lengthen it and only rarely shorten it, and the tenure bands are where cross-border assumptions usually go wrong.
Applies to indefinite and fixed-term contracts alike, and the same lengths bind both sides. Probation contracts have their own shorter ladder.
| Service | Employer notice | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Under 6 months | 2 weeks | notice counted in weeks ends on a Saturday |
| At least 6 months | 1 month | notice counted in months ends on the last day of a month |
| At least 3 years | 3 months | notice counted in months ends on the last day of a month |
Tenure with a previous employer counts where the business transferred to the current one.
Source: Kodeks pracy, art. 36, Lexlege (statutory text). Checked on 2026-07-27.
Minimum paid annual leave
The statutory floor for paid holiday. The counting basis matters as much as the number, since some laws count a six-day week and others count working days or calendar weeks.
20 working days per year.
Rises to 26 working days once total employment reaches 10 years, with school and university time credited toward that threshold, so most graduates reach the higher band early in their careers.
Source: Kodeks pracy, art. 154, Lexlege (statutory text). Checked on 2026-07-27.
Probation limit
The longest trial period the law allows an employer to agree, together with the notice that applies while it runs.
3 months at most, with notice of 3 working days for a probation of up to 2 weeks, 1 week beyond 2 weeks, 2 weeks where the probation runs 3 months during it.
The probation contract (umowa na okres próbny) is a distinct contract type concluded before the main one.
Where the parties intend only a short fixed-term contract to follow, the amendments in force since 2023 cap the probation below the general maximum.
Source: Kodeks pracy, art. 34, Lexlege (statutory text). Checked on 2026-07-27.
Employer social contributions
What the employer pays on top of gross salary into statutory schemes. Some countries charge a percentage of pay, others charge flat amounts, and a single headline rate hides caps, regional rules and industry-rated items.
Figures apply for 2026.
| Scheme | Rate, per cent of pay | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| Pension insurance (emerytalne), employer half | 9.76 | pay up to 282,600 PLN per year |
| Disability insurance (rentowe), employer share | 6.5 | pay up to 282,600 PLN per year |
| Accident insurance (wypadkowe)0.67 to 3.33 by activity class; a flat 1.67 applies to employers with up to 9 insured. | varies | all pay, no ceiling |
| Labour Fund and Solidarity Fund | 2.45 | the whole salary, with no ceiling |
| Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund (FGŚP) | 0.1 | the whole salary, with no ceiling |
| Sum of the shares aboveEmployer shares before the activity-rated accident premium. | 18.81 |
The health contribution is financed by the employee out of pay, so it is not an employer cost. The pension and disability shares stop at the annual base ceiling; the funds and the accident premium continue on all pay.
Source: Wysokości składek na ubezpieczenia społeczne w 2026 r., Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych; Składki na ubezpieczenia społeczne, Biznes.gov.pl (serwis rządowy). Checked on 2026-07-27.