1. Amendment to the Act on the State Labour Inspection

On 8 July this year, the long-awaited amendment to the Act on the State Labour Inspection (PIP) came into force. The new provisions are intended to enhance the effectiveness of the State Labour Inspection’s activities in monitoring the regularity of employment. The main aim of the new provisions is to reduce situations where civil-law contracts are used in place of employment contracts, even though the manner in which duties are performed indicates the existence of an employment relationship. Among other things, the PIP has been granted the power to confirm the existence of an employment relationship in cases where the work performed by an employee formally engaged under a civil law contract exhibits characteristics typical of an employment relationship, including the personal nature of the work and the employee’s subordination to the employer.

2. Follow-up review of the Act on the State Labour Inspection

Although the Act amending the Act on the State Labour Inspection has entered into force and is in force, the President has submitted a request to the Constitutional Tribunal to examine the consistency of selected provisions of the amendment. The objections relate primarily to provisions enabling the State Labour Inspection to convert civil-law contracts into employment contracts by means of an administrative decision, and to increasing of the level of fines for offences against employees’ rights. In the President’s view, some of these measures may infringe the constitutional principle of proportionality. The Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling will determine the future of the contested provisions. Depending on the content of the judgment, they may be upheld, partially or completely removed from the legal order, or require further intervention by the legislature.

3. Amendments to the Trade Unions Act and the Act on Informing and Consulting Employees

The Council of Ministers has adopted a draft bill prepared by the Minister for Family, Labour and Social Policy, which aims to simplify the rules governing communication in the workplace. The new provisions will enable employers, trade unions and employee councils to provide specific information not only in paper form, but also electronically or in document form, e.g. via email. Trade unions will be able to use this method to submit requests and receive information concerning, among other things, the planned transfer of a workplace to another employer and details relating to senior management. The introduction of more flexible forms of communication is intended to reduce formalities, streamline the flow of information and lessen the administrative burden. The new regulations will come into force 14 days after their publication in the Journal of Laws.

4. Applications for benefits can now be submitted electronically

On 1 July this year, changes came into force to simplify the submission of documentation required to determine entitlement to social security benefits. The method of submitting documents depends on whether the benefit is paid by the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) or by the employer acting as the contribution payer. Where the employer is the contribution remitter, the insured person submits the application directly to them, either in paper form or electronically, e.g. via email. However, for benefits paid by ZUS, the application may be submitted in paper form or electronically via PUE/eZUS or to an electronic delivery address, with the required signature.

5. New regulations on working on hot days

On 10 July, an amendment to the Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy dated 9 July 2026 on general health and safety at work regulations was published in the Journal of Laws. Although the new regulations will not come into force until 11 January 2027, it is worth knowing now what changes employers can expect. Once certain temperature thresholds are exceeded, employers will be required to implement technical or organisational measures to minimise the impact of heat on workers. This obligation will apply at 25°C (heavy indoor work and work in the open air) and 28°C (other indoor work). If the temperature rises to 35°C indoors (regardless of the type of work being carried out) or 32°C outdoors (during heavy work), work must be suspended, unless this is not possible for technical reasons. The regulations also provide for exceptions for certain occupational groups and situations where work in high temperatures is a result of the technological process and the temperature cannot be reduced.

6. Anti-Mobbing Act

The amendment to the Labour Code concerning the prevention of mobbing and discrimination is in the final stages of the legislative process. Following the Senate’s adoption of the bill on 8 July 2026, it now only awaits the President’s signature and publication in the Journal of Laws. The new provisions will come into force 3 months after publication, and employers will be given additional time to adapt their procedures. The changes introduce broader protection for employees, a simplified definition of mobbing, and greater obligations on employers to prevent such behaviour.

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