How to Hire Employees in Poland

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Expanding your business into Poland can be highly advantageous to companies looking to move into central European markets, particularly if you want to benefit from a skilled, competitively priced workforce.

This help guide is designed to help companies hire employees in Poland in 9 clear steps, from developing a strong recruitment strategy to understanding all employee entitlements that companies must provide.

Table of Contents show

Why Expand Your Business to Poland

Strategic Advantages of the Polish Market

There are many reasons why companies do business in Poland. With its strong economy, Poland is known for its high GDP growth rate and is a low-risk option for companies looking to expand into new countries.

Poland offers easy access to other European countries such as Germany, Belarus, and Russia, plus it’s prominent in industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, and services.

It has a growing e-commerce sector, plus its skilled workforce is often fluent in more than one language.

Importance of Being Aware of Polish Labor Laws

Labor laws in Poland are primarily governed by the Labour Code and relevant acts.

The Labour Code (Kodeks pracy) provides a legal framework for working conditions in Poland, alongside the rights and obligations of employers/employees. It includes details on employment contracts, working hours, and leave entitlements, plus information on wages and termination rules.

Other relevant acts that provide details on Polish labor laws include:

Act on the Minimum Wage
Act on the Social Insurance System
Act on Trade Unions & Collective Bargaining
Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

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Step 1: Define Your Hiring Needs

Determining your hiring needs can make employment processes much easier.

This involves thinking carefully about what roles your company requires, and how many employees you need to hire to fulfil day-to-day tasks efficiently.

It’s super important to consider your long-term business objectives when hiring new employees, to ensure that your hiring processes align with where you see your company going in the future.

Step 2: Familiarize Yourself with Compliance Requirements

Compliance requirements are different for all countries, so familiarizing yourself with how Poland operates is crucial when employing in this country.

This includes ensuring you fully understand the mandatory benefits employees are entitled to in Poland, as well as tax obligations, minimum wage rights, and social security contributions that must be made.

Step 3: Choose Your Hiring Method

There are various ways that you can hire in Poland, depending on your needs as a company and the level of control you want to retain when employing workers.

Establishing a Legal Entity

Running a business in Poland can be done by establishing a legal entity. This is a favorable method of employment for companies that want full control of hiring employees and can take on the financial/administrative tasks that are involved.

Establishing a legal entity in Poland involves choosing a legal structure, gathering all required documents, and registering with the National Court Register. Companies typically register as a limited liability company or a joint-stock company, and registration can be done online or through a notary system.

Using an Employer of Record (EOR)

An Employer of Record can help companies to outsource their hiring responsibilities, removing pressure and ensuring full compliance with local labor laws.

An EOR provider takes on the legal responsibility of hiring in Poland, ensuring that employee benefits and tax obligations are fulfilled. They may also take on other tasks such as payroll and HR processes.

Choosing an EOR provider does involve relinquishing some responsibility when hiring; however, employers tend to see cost savings, quicker hiring, and reduced issues with compliance.

Learn more about using an EOR in Poland

Hiring Independent Contractors

Employers may choose to hire independent contractors in Poland, particularly if they’re looking for flexibility with employment contracts.

While using independent contractors is a popular method of employment, companies must make a clear distinction between contractors and employees to avoid legal penalties and reputational damage.

Step 4: Develop a Recruitment Strategy

The next step in the employment process is to develop a strong recruitment strategy.

This involves putting together detailed job descriptions and adverts that clearly explain what is required from the job role, while ensuring complete adherence to anti-discrimination laws.

Once you’ve put together your job adverts, post them on relevant job sites and professional networks that attract a high number of applicants. Some of the top job sites in Poland include the following: Prajuc, careersinpoland.com, and olx.pl.

Step 5: Conduct Interviews and Assessments

When you have some job applications, it’s time to conduct interviews and assessments.

A key piece of advice when in this step of the hiring process is to bear in mind the cultural norms of workers in Poland. This will help set a good first impression with prospective workers, ensuring they feel welcomed to the job role and ready to start their new job.

Workers in Poland tend to value family, courtesy, formal greetings, and punctuality. If you can incorporate these into your hiring process, you’re more likely to succeed when hiring and retaining staff.

Step 6: Perform Background Checks

It’s normal in Poland for companies ot carry out background checks when hiring new staff members.

However, there are strict regulations that employers must adhere to, particularly when considering data protection and employee consent.

Employees must consent to background checks, and said checks must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation. Employers must also request explicit legal authorization if they wish to carry out criminal record checks.

Step 7: Draft Employment Contracts

Putting together employment contracts is a very important part of hiring in Poland.

An employment contract must explain the job role and job title in detail. It should explain all relevant information to the role, including probationary periods and notice periods, plus all mandatory employee benefits that workers are entitled to.

We strongly recommend having all employee contracts reviewed by legal professionals to ensure that contracts strictly adhere to local labor laws.

Step 8: Register with Authorities and Set Up Payroll

Companies must register with local authorities as one of the final steps in the employment process.

This includes registering relevant tax numbers and social security IDs, and enrolling with local authorities such as the National Revenue Administration and the Social Security System.

Now is also the time to set up payroll processes and enroll employees in any private insurance schemes you’re running.

Step 9: Onboard Your New Employees

The last step is to onboard your new employees.

Warmly welcome them to your company by ensuring they’re introduced to all relevant team members they’ll be working with, and give them access to all the training and resources they’ll need.

This is also a good opportunity to explain company policies and procedures that apply to your recruits.

Key Employment Laws and Regulations

The Polish Labor Code

The Polish Labour Code provides details on the rights and obligations of employers and employees in Poland.

These include workplace regulations, employee benefits, rules around the organization of work, and employee safety.

Social Security Regulations

Poland operates under a Social Security System which provides financial benefits to workers in the event of retirement, unemployment, ill-health, or disability.

Employers and employees must make contributions to the Social Security System. As of 2025, the social security rates in Poland are as follows:

Contributor	Rate	Notes
Employers	19.21% – 22.41%	Applies to employees’ gross salary
Employees	13.71%	Deducted from gross salary

Employment Standards and Employee Rights

Unions and Works Council

Poland relies on trade unions and work councils to ensure employees are represented in the workplace.

Unions are designed to protect employee rights and dignity, while work councils focus more on improving communication between workers and managerial positions.

Types of Employment Contracts

Polish labor laws distinguish between 3 types of employment contracts.

Trial Contracts

Contracts that are conducted on a temporary, trial basis – often used for testing new job roles

Fixed-Term Contracts

Jobs that run for a set period. Can include a contract for substitution of an absent employee or the completion of individual projects.

Indefinite-Contracts

Permanent job roles that are ongoing and have no set end date.

Working Hours and Overtime

Standard Working Hours

Typical working hours in Poland consist of 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week.

These hours are usually worked over 5 days, and any hours worked above an employee’s contract count as overtime hours.

Overtime Regulations

Overtime hours worked in Poland must be paid at an additional rate.

This is calculated as follows:

50% additional remuneration if overtime is carried out on a working day
100% remuneration if overtime is carried out at night, on Sundays, on public holidays, or a designated day off

Employees may be offered an additional rest day instead of payment.

Leave Entitlements

There are various leave entitlements that workers in Poland are entitled to.

Annual Leave

Employees in Poland are entitled to annual leave, which is calculated based on years of service:

Length of Service	Annual Leave Entitlement
Less than 10 years	20 days per calendar year
Over 10 years	26 days per calendar year

Public holidays are considered separate from annual leave, and unused leave may be carried over to the following year in some circumstances.

Leave for part-time workers tends to be allocated on a prorated basis.

Sick Leave

Employees who are absent from work due to illness are eligible for sick leave.

Sick leave is limited to 182 days per calendar year and requires a doctor’s note.

Employers are responsible for paying sick pay for the first 33 days, or up to 14 days for employees over the age of 50. After this period, employees are paid by the Social Security System.

Sick pay is generally paid at 80% of an employee’s typical wage.

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Female workers in Poland are eligible for maternity leave if they have a baby.

Maternity leave in Poland consists of 20 weeks of fully paid leave, with leave starting no earlier than 6 weeks before the birth.

Mothers who have twins or multiple births are eligible for:

Number of Children	Leave Entitlement
Two children	31 weeks
Three children	33 weeks
Four children	35 weeks
Five or more children	37 weeks

Male employees in Poland are eligible for 2 weeks of paid paternity leave, which must be taken within the first year of the child’s life.

Termination and Severance

Notice Periods

Notice periods in Poland vary based on employment length. These are detailed below:

Length of Employment	Notice Period
Less than 6 months	2 weeks’ notice
6 months to less than 3 years	1 month’s notice
3 years or more	3 months’ notice

Severance Pay

Employees may be eligible for severance pay if they have been dismissed from their role without committing employee misconduct. This is usually payable as follows:

Length of Service	Severance Pay
Less than 2 years	1 month’s pay
2 to 8 years	2 months’ pay
More than 8 years	3 months’ pay

Mandatory Contributions

Social Security Contributions

Employees and employers must make contributions to the Social Security System to be eligible for insurance such as pension, disability, accident, and sickness.

As of 2025, the social security rates in Poland are as follows:

Employers: Between 19.21% and 22.41% of employees’ gross salary
Employees: 13.71% of gross salary

Health Insurance and Pension

The health system in Poland is a universal healthcare program that is known as the National Health Fund. This is free at the point of use, provided that the worker has contributed via the Social Security System.

Private healthcare options are also accessible.

The pension system in Poland is made up of two pillars: the mandatory, pay-as-you-go Old Age pension scheme, and mandatory individual accounts that are open pension funds.

Voluntary pension schemes can also be used to supplement retirement savings.

Optional Benefits

Companies are advised to offer supplementary benefits to employees to increase staff retention rates and drive more job applications. Examples that could be offered include:

Performance bonuses
Transport, housing, or food expenses
Flexible working
Enhanced leave entitlement
Access to private pension schemes