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Poland
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Employment contracts & holidays

Description

The Polish labour system allows for several types of work contracts to be concluded between an employer and a future employee:

1.a regular employment contract - regulated by the Labour Code may be concluded: for a probation period (up to 3 months, in order to check qualifications of an employee), for a definite or indefinite period of time. It can be full-time or part-time position. The duration of the contract concluded for a definite period of time cannot exceed 33 months, and the total number of the contracts cannot exceed 3. The forth contract will automatically be considered as the contract for indefinite period.

2. civil law contracts - regulated by the Civil Code; the difference is that they specify a piece of work to be carried out within a defined period of time, quite often without setting working hours; the most popular ones, among many other, are the following two:

  • free-for-task agreement (umowa zlecenie) concluded for performance of a specified activity,
  • specific-task contract (umowa o dzieło) concluded for achievement of a specific result.

All types of contracts should be concluded in a written form. Among other things, they determine parties of the contract or agreement, its type, starting and ending dates, type of work or results to be achieved and remuneration for the work. In the case of regular employment contracts, the revenue earned is charged with all labour costs (e.g. social security, health insurance), while income gained from free-for-task agreements does not obligatorily cover sickness contribution.

Please also remember that Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)are an important issue which apply to signing a contract. Various rules concern different types of contracts and rights.

There are some days in the calendar year that have been established to be days off at work, due to their significance.

  • 1st January - New Year

  • 6th January - Three Wise Men religious holiday (Epiphany)

  • March/April - Easter Sunday and Monday

  • 1st May - Labour Day

  • 3rd May - Constitution Day

  • May/June - Corpus Christi (first Thursday of the ninth week after Easter)

  • 15th August - Feast of the Assumption

  • 1st November - All Saints' Day

  • 11th November - Independence Day

  • 25-26th December - Christmas and Boxing Day

Warsaw, AMCieszewscy, POT Polish Touristic Organization, FOTO Polska

Easter basket

Independence Day, Warsaw, Pilsudski square