POLAND Law and Practice Contributed by: Magdalena Zwolińska, Aleksander Płaza, Sylwia Miros and Karolina Rogatko, HRLS Zwolińska & Zwoliński
dismissals and disciplinary terminations – including cases involving employees subject to special legal protection.
HRLS Zwolińska & Zwoliński ul. Jana i Jędrzeja Śniadeckich 10 00-656 Warsaw Poland Tel: +48 605 949 321 Email: kancelaria@hrls.pl Web: hrls.pl
1. Employment Terms 1.1 Employee Status Blue-Collar and White-Collar Employees
contract, particularly in terms of lower tax and social security contributions. 1.2 Employment Contracts Types of Employment Contracts The most commonly used types of employment con - tracts in Poland are the following. Trial period contracts These are used to assess a new employee’s potential for a long-term role. They typically last from one to three months, depending on the length of the contract that is expected to follow. Fixed-term contracts These are time-limited agreements that automatically end once the agreed period is over, without requiring a termination notice. Under Polish labour law, such contracts cannot exceed 33 months in total, and an employer can sign a maximum of three fixed-term contracts with the same employee. If the employ - ment exceeds this 33-month limit, or if a fourth con - tract is concluded, the arrangement is automatically reclassified as an indefinite-term contract, effective from either the day after the 33-month period ends or the day the fourth contract is signed – whichever happens first.
Polish labour law does not make any formal distinc - tion between blue-collar and white-collar workers – the provisions of the Labour Code apply to both. In Poland, employee status – understood as employment based on a standard employment contract regulated by the Labour Code – offers the strongest legal pro - tection among various forms of work arrangements. This includes comprehensive rights such as: • paid leave; • social security benefits; • protection against unjust dismissal; and • regulated working hours. Civil Law Contracts In contrast, civil law contracts – such as business- to-business (B2B) contracts or contracts of mandate ( umowa zlecenia ) – do not provide the same level of protection. While they offer greater flexibility and can be more cost-effective – especially from a tax perspec - tive – they lack the security and benefits associated with full employment status. In practice, white-collar professionals in Poland are sometimes engaged under civil law contracts rather than standard employment agreements. This is often due to mutual arrangements that are financially advantageous for both side of the
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