1. Day off in lieu of 15 August

We would like to remind you that, as a general rule, an employee is entitled to an additional day off in lieu of a public holiday falling on a Saturday – such as 15 August this year. This stems from the obligation to reduce working hours by 8 hours. The day off must be granted within the same pay period in which the public holiday falls. For a monthly pay period, this means that the day off in lieu of 15 August should be taken before the end of August. If a date has not yet been set, it should be arranged as soon as possible.

2. Women on Boards

On 18 August 2026, new regulations implementing the EU’s Women on Boards Directive came into force. Their aim is to increase the proportion of women on the management and supervisory bodies of state-owned companies and to ensure a more balanced representation of both genders at the highest levels of management. Entities employing at least 250 employees, with an annual turnover exceeding EUR 50 million or a balance sheet total exceeding EUR 43 million, will be required to ensure that at least 33% of the members of their management and supervisory boards are from the under-represented gender. The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) will enforce the regulations, imposing fines of up to PLN 500,000 for serious breaches. Candidates are guaranteed the right to claim compensation in the event of discrimination during the recruitment process.

3. New self-assessment checklist

The Chief Labour Inspector has submitted a draft of a new self-assessment checklist to the Labour Protection Council intended to help entrepreneurs assess whether a particular working arrangement should be based on an employment contract or a civil-law contract. The draft comprises 30 questions and is not yet final. The questions relate, among other things, to the work organisation, the degree of autonomy and the manner in which duties are performed. The checklist is intended to help employers identify the risk of a contract being challenged by the State Labour Inspection (PIP) at an early stage. The actual manner in which the work is performed is to be the primary factor in determining whether a contract qualifies as an employment contract.

4. Amendments to the regulations on mobbing

The President has signed amendments to the Labour Code and the Code of Civil Procedure, strengthening the protection of employees against mobbing and unequal treatment. The new definition of mobbing focuses on persistent behaviour, such as humiliating, intimidating, ridiculing or isolating an employee. Employers will be obliged to actively prevent mobbing, including through training, monitoring the situation and implementing appropriate procedures. The provisions will come into force on 5 November 2026, and employers will have to bring their internal regulations into line with the new rules until 5 May 2027. Protection for employees has also been strengthened – compensation for mobbing may be awarded without the need to prove an adverse effect on health, in an amount of at least six times the minimum wage.

5. UKR status

On 31 August 2026, some Ukrainian nationals holding a PESEL UKR number need to confirm their identity. This applies to those who were issued with a PESEL number on the basis of a declaration, without presenting a valid travel document. To do so, they need to visit any local authority office with a valid travel document, such as a passport. This is not a replacement of the PESEL number. Failure to confirm identity by the deadline will result in the UKR status being changed to NUE from 1 September 2026. Employers should therefore verify which employees are affected by this requirement and, after 1 September, check their current status and the basis for their legal residence and employment in Poland.

6. New rules on the employment of foreigners

From 22 August 2026, new rules will apply to the employment of nationals of Colombia, Venezuela and Georgia. People staying in Poland under the visa-free regime may not take up new employment on that basis, even if they hold a work permit. An exception applies to those who started work before 22 August while on a visa-free stay and held a valid work permit – they may continue in that employment until the end of their authorised period of stay. However, the new regulations do not preclude the employment of nationals of these countries in Poland under different arrangements, for example, after obtaining the relevant visa or residence permit.

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