The year 2026 marks the beginning of a new chapter in Polish labor law. The coming months—and in many areas, the coming years as well—will bring significant changes to employment costs, new obligations for employers, and the approach to employee-employer relations. Already today, HR departments, consultants, lawyers, as well as business owners and employees themselves, should prepare for changes that will have a real impact on the day-to-day operations of companies.
Below, we present the 11 most important changes to labor law for 2026, which are already taking effect, are in the final stages of the legislative process, or will be implemented in phases over the next few years.
1. Increase in the minimum wage and hourly rate in 2026
Starting in January 2026, the minimum wage will increase to 4,806 zł gross, while the minimum hourly rate for a contract of mandate will be 31.40 zł gross.
This change automatically increases:
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night shift premiums,
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amounts exempt from bailiff deductions,
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compensation for downtime,
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severance pay and compensation,
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minimum contribution bases for ZUS (including health insurance contributions).
For companies, this means an increase in total labor costs, not just in terms of base salaries.
2. Gradual Exclusion of Allowances from the Minimum Wage
One of the most complex reforms will be separating base pay from bonuses and allowances when calculating the minimum wage. The draft bill (UC62) implementing the EU directive provides that:
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Bonuses, awards, and allowances will not be included in the minimum wage,
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The base salary alone will have to meet the minimum requirement.
In practice, this means that base salaries must be raised, even if total compensation already exceeds the minimum.
3. A New Way to Calculate Length of Service – A Revolution Starting in 2026
Starting in 2026, the following, among other things, will be included in the calculation of length of service:
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contracts for specific tasks,
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agency agreements,
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business activities,
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B2B collaboration,
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membership in cooperatives.
This has real-world consequences:
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faster accrual of the right to 26 days of vacation,
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longer notice periods,
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higher severance pay,
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earlier access to benefits.
ZUS will verify the length of service, and if there are any gaps, the employee will be able to provide their own documents.
4. Expanded Powers of the State Labor Inspectorate
The National Labor Inspectorate (PIP) will gain the authority to administratively reclassify civil law contracts as employment contracts, with immediate effect. Additionally:
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inspections will be able to be conducted remotely,
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The National Labor Inspectorate will also inspect former employers,
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inspectors will gain access to data from ZUS and KAS,
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Fines will increase to as much as 90,000 zł.
For companies, this means that documentation must be error-free and that employment arrangements must actually align with actual practice.
5. Salary Transparency and the Prohibition on Asking About Previous Earnings
Starting in 2026, an employer must inform a job candidate of the salary:
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in the announcement,
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before the conversation,
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no later than before the contract is signed.
At the same time, a strict ban on asking about previous earnings was introduced, with the aim of preventing the perpetuation of wage inequality.
6. Gender Neutrality in Job Postings
Job postings must be gender-neutral, both in job titles and in the text. This is a seemingly minor change, but it is significant from the perspective of equal access to the labor market.
7. A New Definition of Workplace Bullying
Proposed regulations:
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define what workplace bullying is,
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exclude incidental behaviors,
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include verbal, physical, and nonverbal actions,
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raise the minimum compensation to six times the minimum wage.
At the same time, the regulations are intended to protect employers from false accusations.
8. Expanding the Role of Collective Bargaining Agreements
Collective bargaining agreements will be able to regulate, among other things:
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work-life balance,
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remote and hybrid work,
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the use of AI,
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preventing occupational burnout,
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anti-harassment procedures.
A fully digital National Registry of Collective Bargaining Agreements was also introduced.
9. Changes to the Company Social Benefits Fund and the Digitization of Human Resources
New features include:
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postponement of the payment date for vacation pay,
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strengthening the principles of employee representation,
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full digitization of social and human resources documents.
10. New Rules for Monitoring Sick Leave (L4)
Starting in 2026:
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Working while on sick leave may result in the loss of benefits,
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It will be possible to work for another employer, provided it does not interfere with medical treatment,
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The actions considered to be abuse have been precisely defined.
11. Equal Pay for Women and Men
By June 2026, Poland will implement the EU directive on equal pay for equal work. Employers will be required to use transparent compensation and reporting systems.
What do the changes to labor law in 2026 mean for companies?
The year 2026 is:
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higher labor costs,
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more documentation requirements,
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a higher risk of inspections and penalties,
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but also greater transparency and protection for employees.
For employers, this means they must:
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updating procedures,
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a review of employment models,
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informed planning of personnel budgets.