In Poland, the law mandates that employees receive an annual, uninterrupted, paid vacation, also known as annual leave. The standard entitlement is 20 days for employees with less than 10 years of total work experience and 26 days for those with at least 10 years of total work experience.

Calculating Work Experience

The calculation of overall work experience for the purpose of vacation entitlement includes periods of education. For example, basic vocational school counts as 3 years, secondary vocational school as 5 years, general secondary school as 4 years, post-secondary school as 6 years, and higher education as 8 years.

Pro-Rata Accrual for First Year

During the first calendar year of employment, employees accrue 1/12th of their annual entitlement for each month worked.

Part-Time Leave Calculation

The leave for part-time employees is proportionally reduced according to their working hours.

Obligatory Leave Usage

Employers are required to ensure that employees take their annual leave within the calendar year it's earned.

Unused Leave

If vacation days are not used, they can be carried over to the next year but must be used by September 30th of that following year. If not, they are forfeited.

Additional Notes

A vacation day is equivalent to 8 hours of work for full-time employees. The leave schedule is set by employers, who ideally should consider employee preference. However, they have the right to refuse leave requests if justified by operational needs. It's also important to note that employers cannot terminate employment contracts while an employee is on vacation leave.

Poland celebrates a variety of public holidays throughout the year. These holidays reflect the country's rich history, cultural traditions, and religious observances.

National Holidays

• New Year's Day (Nowy Rok): Celebrated on January 1st, it marks the start of the new calendar year.
• Epiphany (Święto Trzech Króli): This religious holiday is observed on January 6th.
• Easter Sunday (Wielkanoc): The date varies each year, but it always falls on a Sunday in Spring.
• Easter Monday (Drugi Dzień Wielkanocy): This is the day following Easter Sunday, and its date varies each year.
• Labor Day (Święto Pracy): Celebrated on May 1st, it honors workers and the labor movement.
• Constitution Day (Święto Konstytucji 3 Maja): This holiday on May 3rd commemorates the adoption of the Polish Constitution in 1791.
• Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało): The date varies, but it's typically in late Spring or early Summer, 60 days after Easter.
• Assumption of Mary (Wniebowzięcie Najświętszej Maryi Panny): This religious holiday is observed on August 15th.
• Polish Armed Forces Day (Święto Wojska Polskiego): Also on August 15th, it honors the Polish military.
• All Saints' Day (Wszystkich Świętych): Celebrated on November 1st, it's a day to remember the deceased.
• National Independence Day (Narodowe Święto Niepodległości): This holiday on November 11th marks Poland's independence in 1918.
• Christmas Day (Boże Narodzenie): Celebrated on December 25th, it commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ.
• Second Day of Christmas: This is the day following Christmas, on December 26th.

Important Notes

Public holidays are non-working days in Poland. If a public holiday falls on a weekend, there is typically no additional day off granted.

In Poland, employees are entitled to various types of leave, each with its own set of rules and regulations as stipulated by the Labour Code.

Annual Leave (Urlop wypoczynkowy)

Employees gain the right to an annual, uninterrupted, paid vacation. The entitlement is 20 days for employees with less than 10 years of work experience and 26 days for those with at least 10 years of work experience. Periods of education contribute to total work experience. Employers determine leave schedules after consulting employees.

Sick Leave (Zwolnienie lekarskie)

Employees are entitled to paid sick leave if they are unable to work due to illness or injury. The benefit amount is 80% of the regular salary during the first 33 days of sick leave in a calendar year (14 days if the employee is over 50 years old). Medical certification is usually required for absences beyond three days.

Maternity Leave (Urlop macierzyński)

Maternity leave entitlement varies depending on the number of children born. It's 20 weeks for the birth of one child, 31 weeks for twins, 33 weeks for triplets, 35 weeks for quadruplets, and 37 weeks for quintuplets or more. Leave can start several weeks before the due date and portions can be transferred to the father.

Parental Leave (Urlop rodzicielski)

Following maternity leave, parents are entitled to up to 32 weeks (or 34 weeks in case of multiple births) of additional leave. This leave is generally unpaid, but may be partially paid depending on whether the parent chooses to extend leave.

Paternity Leave (Urlop ojcowski)

Fathers are entitled to 2 weeks of paternity leave, at 100% pay. This leave must be taken within 24 months of the child's birth.

Care Leave (Urlop opiekuńczy)

Employees are entitled to up to 60 days per year to care for a dependent family member. This leave is generally unpaid.

On-Demand Leave (Urlop na żądanie)

Employees are entitled to 4 days per year that they can use on short notice for unforeseen circumstances. This leave is unpaid.