1. Employees will get greater protection. New regulations on combating workplace abuse and discrimination are drawing closer

On 19 June, the Sejm passed a draft bill on combating workplace abuse and discrimination. It will now be sent to the Senate. We would like to remind you that the new regulations are intended to strengthen the protection of employees against workplace abuse and discrimination. They introduce a clearer definition of workplace abuse, which also covers electronic forms of harassment, and distinguish between isolated incidents and persistent harassment. The changes also provide for higher compensation for victims and the possibility of claiming costs from the perpetrator. A regulation has also been added which explicitly allows employers to bring recourse claims against the perpetrator of workplace abuse. Employers will be obliged to take preventive measures, including the implementation of anti-abuse procedures.

2. New powers for the State Labour Inspection from July

From 8 July, the State Labour Inspection will gain additional powers in relation to the inspections it carries out. One of the most significant changes is that a regional labour inspector will be able to issue an administrative decision recognising the existence of an employment relationship if a civil-law contract effectively meets the criteria of such a relationship. Until now, such disputes have mainly been settled by the courts. This change means there is a greater risk that contracts of mandate, contracts for the provision of services and B2B co-operation contracts may be challenged, requiring employers to review their employment models. The new regulations also introduce the possibility of requesting interpretations from the State Labour Inspection (PIP), conducting remote inspections, and a broader exchange of information between the PIP, the Social Insurance Institution and the State Tax Administration.

3. Draft Bill on improving gender balance in public companies

The Council of Ministers has adopted a draft bill aimed at improving gender balance on the governing bodies of public companies and implementing EU legislation on equality. The purpose of the changes is to increase the representation of a particular gender on the decision-making bodies of the largest listed companies by introducing transparent rules for the selection of members of management and supervisory boards. Large listed companies will be required to ensure that the under-represented gender accounts for at least 33% of these bodies, to apply gender-neutral recruitment procedures, to draw up a gender balance policy and to report annually on the composition of their governing bodies. These obligations will apply only to public companies employing at least 250 employees and meeting specific financial criteria.

4. Changes to sick pay for pregnant women

A parliamentary bill to amend the Labour Code and the Act on benefits proposes changes to the rules governing the funding of sick leaves for pregnant women. The amount of the benefit will remain unchanged and will continue to be 100% of remuneration. However, the source of funding will change. Currently, for the first 33 days of sick leave (14 days for employees aged 50 and over), the costs are borne by the employer, after which the benefit is funded by the Social Insurance Institution. Under the draft bill, in the case of pregnant women, the Social Insurance Institution would take over the funding of the benefit from the very first day of sick leave. The draft bill is currently being considered by the Parliament.

5. There will be changes to the way benefits are awarded

The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy has drawn up a draft regulation aimed at simplifying the procedures for awarding sickness and maternity benefits and reducing the amount of paperwork involved. One of the most significant changes is the removal of the requirement to provide certified copies of foreign marriage and death certificates when applying for benefits. Furthermore, those applying for maternity benefit will not have to provide a copy of their child’s birth certificate, as the Social Insurance Institution will independently obtain this information from the civil registry. The draft also provides for the abolition of the obligation to submit Z-3b form by entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals and clergymen applying for sickness benefit. According to the Ministry, the changes are to speed up the processing of applications and facilitate access to benefits. The new regulations are scheduled to come into force on 1 July 2026.

6. Proposal to change the minimum wage

The government has adopted a draft setting the minimum wage and minimum hourly rate for 2027. According to the proposals, from 1 January 2027, the minimum wage would amount to PLN 4,950 gross, representing an increase of PLN 144 compared with 2026. At the same time, the minimum hourly rate for certain civil-law contracts would be raised to PLN 32.30 , i.e. PLN 0.90 more than the previous year. The adopted proposal will be forwarded to the Social Dialogue Council for further consultation.

Drawn up by: Dorota Dąbrowska-Kobus, attorney-at-law, Karolina Śledź, trainee attorney-at-law