Services

    Employment Law for Employers in Poland

    Polish employment law for employers — contracts, B2B vs employment risk, lawful terminations, PIP inspections, labour-court disputes. Legal plus HR and payroll in one place.

    Last updated:

    Employer-side employment law covers your whole relationship with the team — from correct contracts, workplace regulations and policies, through day-to-day advice and Labour Inspectorate (PIP) inspections, to lawful terminations and disputes before the labour courts. We handle these matters end to end and combine legal counsel with HR and payroll, so that documentation, settlements and personnel decisions stay consistent and low-risk.

    Key facts

    Fixed-term contracts
    Max. 33 months and 3 contracts between the same parties (Art. 25¹ Labour Code)
    Notice periods
    2 weeks / 1 month / 3 months, depending on length of service (Art. 36)
    Minimum wage 2026
    PLN 4,806 gross/month · PLN 31.40 gross/hour
    Standard working time
    8 hours/day, 40 hours/week on average
    Overtime cap
    150 hours/year; week including overtime max. 48 hours on average
    Remote work
    Regulated in the Labour Code since 7 April 2023 — cost-reimbursement duties and a policy fall on the employer
    B2B risk
    Bogus self-employment can be reclassified as an employment relationship (Art. 22)
    We advise employers on every dimension of Polish employment law. We draft employment contracts, executive service agreements, works and remuneration regulations, anti-harassment (anti-mobbing) policies, remote-work policies, and GDPR-compliant HR procedures. We help you choose and structure the right form of engagement — employment contract, mandate contract (zlecenie) or B2B cooperation — taking account of the risk that self-employment is reclassified as an employment relationship (Art. 22 of the Labour Code), which, under the PIP reform in force since July 2026, the regional labour inspector can establish by administrative decision, without going to court (where an earlier order to remediate has not been complied with). We audit HR documentation and help you prepare for PIP inspections. We manage workforce restructuring and collective redundancy processes, conduct negotiations with trade unions and employee representative bodies, and ensure terminations are carried out lawfully — with the correct procedure, a genuine reason, and the right notice period (Art. 36). We represent employers before labour courts in disputes over reinstatement, compensation, workplace harassment (mobbing) and discrimination. Because we combine legal counsel with payroll and HR administration, your employment matters are handled in one place — from the contract through settlements to any dispute.

    When do you need this service?

    • You are hiring your first employees and want the HR documentation set up correctly from day one
    • You aren't sure whether an employment contract, a mandate contract or B2B cooperation is safer in a given case
    • You are planning a dismissal or collective redundancies and want to carry them out lawfully
    • You are expecting a PIP inspection, or have received an inspector's order or recommendation
    • An employee has sued you in the labour court for reinstatement, compensation, mobbing or wage claims
    • You are introducing remote work, workplace regulations, or anti-mobbing and GDPR policies

    How the process works

    1. 1
      Analysis and auditWe review existing contracts, regulations and HR practices — or, for a first hire, map the company's needs and identify risk areas (B2B vs employment, working time, GDPR documentation).
    2. 2
      Choosing the form of engagementWe recommend a safe form for each role (employment contract, mandate contract, B2B) and set the terms: pay, working time, probation and notice.
    3. 3
      Documentation and regulationsWe prepare contracts and the required regulations and policies (works and remuneration regulations, remote-work rules, anti-mobbing policy, GDPR clauses and procedures).
    4. 4
      Implementation and HR/payrollWe launch the employment: registrations, personnel files, working-time records and payroll, and where relevant the legalisation of foreign nationals' work.
    5. 5
      Ongoing support and representationWe advise on changes and terminations, prepare the company for PIP inspections, and represent the employer in labour-court disputes.

    What you'll need

    • Company details and the number of people employed or to be employed
    • Existing contracts, regulations and HR policies (if any)
    • Job descriptions, scope of duties and the proposed terms of employment
    • Information on the working-time system and schedule, and on remote work
    • Documentation relating to a planned dismissal or an ongoing dispute (if applicable)
    • For foreign nationals — the data needed to legalise their work and stay

    What we cover

    • Employment contracts, management agreements and HR policies
    • Anti-mobbing policies and GDPR compliance in employment
    • Collective redundancy and restructuring procedures
    • Trade union and works council negotiations
    • Employer representation before labour courts
    • Mobbing, discrimination and compensation claims

    For foreign employers in Poland

    We support foreign companies hiring their first employees in Poland. We advise whether it is better to employ through your own Polish company (which we also set up — see our company-formation service) or to use an employer-of-record model, and we prepare the mandatory HR documentation in Polish, compliant with the Polish Labour Code.

    Employing foreign nationals brings additional employer obligations arising from the Act on the conditions for assigning work to foreigners on the territory of Poland. We handle work and residence legalisation end to end — see our immigration and residence service for detail.

    We also handle the posting of workers to and from Poland and the related obligations. Foreign employers work with one team throughout: we advise in Polish, English and German, combine employment law with HR and payroll, bring 20 years of experience, and coordinate sworn translators and the other matters a company entering the Polish market usually needs.

    Who advises you

    The lawyers at the firm who advise on this area. Each links to a full profile.

    Sylwia Myśliwska
    Sylwia Myśliwska

    Partner / Attorney

    Attorney and partner at the firm. Heads the compensation, public procurement, and reprivatisation departments. Extensive experience in commercial and business matters, as well as representing clients in court and administrative proceedings. Actively involved in international organisations and charitable work.

    • Speaks: Polish, English
    • Public Procurement Law
    • Compensation Claims
    • Labour Law
    Enquiry for Sylwia

    Related articles

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What employment documents should every employer have in place?
    Core documents include employment contracts or executive service agreements, a works regulations policy, a remuneration policy (required for employers with 50+ employees), an anti-harassment (anti-mobbing) policy, and GDPR-compliant HR documentation. We help you build a complete, legally compliant HR framework.
    How do we carry out collective redundancies in compliance with Polish law?
    Collective redundancies require consultation with trade unions or employee representatives, notification of the labour office, and compliance with statutory notice periods. We guide employers through the entire process — from designing the redundancy plan to finalising agreements and calculating statutory severance payments.
    An employee has filed a claim against us in the labour court. What should we do?
    Contact a lawyer as soon as possible — you have a limited time to file your response to the claim. We will review the documentation, assess the merits of the claim, and develop a litigation strategy. We represent employers in cases involving unfair dismissal, workplace harassment (mobbing), discrimination, and wage claims.
    How can a company protect itself against workplace harassment claims?
    Prevention and documentation are key: implementing a robust anti-harassment policy, regular management training, a clear procedure for reporting and investigating alleged incidents, and consistent follow-through. We help you design and implement a complete employment law compliance framework.
    Can we hire a foreign national as an employee?
    Yes, although this requires completing the required formalities — obtaining a work permit or registering a declaration of intent to employ, and in some cases a residence permit as well. We handle both the immigration and employment aspects, streamlining the entire process for the employer.
    Can I engage people on B2B contracts instead of employment contracts?
    B2B cooperation is possible, but only where it genuinely has the features of independent business activity. If the work is performed under the employer's direction, at a place and time the employer sets, it is an employment relationship regardless of the contract's name (Art. 22 of the Labour Code). Bogus self-employment risks reclassification as employment plus back-payment of ZUS contributions and taxes — and under the PIP reform in force since July 2026 the regional labour inspector can make that determination by administrative decision, without going to court. We help you structure a safe form of engagement for each role.
    How do we lawfully terminate an employee's contract?
    The keys are the correct mode (notice or termination without notice), a genuine and specific reason for an indefinite-term contract, and the right notice period for the employee's length of service — 2 weeks, 1 month or 3 months (Art. 36). Correct documentation matters too, because the employee has only a limited time to appeal to the labour court. We prepare the termination documents and guide the employer through the whole process, minimising the risk of losing the case.
    As a foreign company, I want to hire my first employee in Poland — where do I start?
    First we establish whether you will employ through your own Polish company or via an employer-of-record; we can also set up the company if you don't yet have one. We then prepare the mandatory HR documentation in Polish, handle the registrations and run payroll. We manage the whole process in English or German and in one place — legal, HR and payroll.
    What do I need to do to employ a non-EU national?
    Employing a non-EU national usually requires legalising both their work (a work permit or declaration) and their stay, under the Act on the conditions for assigning work to foreigners on the territory of Poland. We handle both the immigration and the employment aspects, so the whole process runs smoothly and lawfully.

    Ready to discuss your case?

    Our lawyers are available to advise you in Polish, English, German, Ukrainian and Russian.

    Discuss your case