Psychiatric sick leave raises concerns regarding potential misuse. While physical illnesses often allow for objective verification through tests — for example, fractures with X-rays or the flu with visual examinations – mental health diagnoses, such as depression, are largely based on patient interviews. This necessitates reliance on the psychiatrist’s professional judgment to differentiate between genuine illness and malingering. – Łukasz Chruściel comments for Rzeczpospolita.
An employee may enter into multiple employment relationships with two, five, or even ten employers. These relationships will form the basis for compulsory social security coverage, provided the work is genuinely performed under contract. The concept of a ‘sham’ employment contract applies only when work, or contributions deemed as such by the employer, are not performed in accordance with the established agreement. – Łukasz Chruściel comments for Rzeczpospolita.
Polish companies are delegating non-EU workers to countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. However, this process must be compliant with local immigration rules. While the EU allows for free provision of services, assigning non-EU employees abroad often comes with restrictions due to local immigration laws. – Karolina Schiffter comments for Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
Poland is once again behind the EU in extending temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens. While the EU granted an extension in mid-2023, Poland had only extended rights under its special law for Ukrainian citizens until 30 September 2025. In the end Poland is still required to provide protection, as mandated by the EU law, until 4 March 2026, and possibly even longer if the EU decides on further extensions. – Karolina Schiffter comments for Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
In 2024 the number of illegally employed non-national workers has risen once again. Stricter penalties did not bring any changes, since many companies are not concerned about inspections, which remain rare. Enforcement needs to be more effective to ensure compliance with immigration laws. While more inspections may seem more strenuous, in the long run it will benefit compliant employers. – Karolina Schiffter comments for Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
The Court of Appeal has clarified that the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) cannot dictate how employers assess employees’ family and financial situations when determining benefit eligibility. ZUS’s role is limited to checking that benefits were funded from the resources earmarked for employee benefits within the company social fund. Essentially, the key is whether the benefit is financed in compliance with the fund’s regulations and that resources have been correctly allocated. This interpretation must be the better view. – Łukasz Chruściel comments for Rzeczpospolita.
Global companies employing people across different countries are among the largest employers in Poland. Managing international teams, even within the same corporate group, can be complex and may require expertise in various fields and legal systems. While this business model has its benefits, it also comes with many challenges, especially when it comes to organising work schedules efficiently. – Kinga Polewka-Włoch and Magdalena Pawełczyk comment for Rzeczpospolita.
Employers will not only have to ensure pay parity between employees doing the same job, but also between those doing work of equal value. This means that comparing a cashier to a cashier will no longer suffice if it turns out that men employed in a logistics warehouse earn significantly more than their female colleagues in customer service roles. – Sławomir Paruch, Marcin Sanetra and Jan Kozakoszczak comment for Rzeczpospolita.
Employers planning measures that may lead to numerous employee terminations within a short timeframe must always anticipate the most far-reaching consequences. When giving notices to change employment terms and conditions, employers should anticipate that not all employees will accept them and consider whether the changes might inadvertently constitute collective redundancies. – Mariusz Maksis comments for Rzeczpospolita.
The EU Pay Transparency Directive is on its way, requiring Poland to have all necessary laws and regulations in effect by 7th June 2026. For Polish employers, this means preparing now for compliance with pay transparency rules. Given the complexity of these changes and the immediate right of employees to access payroll information, early preparation is essential. – Bartosz Tomanek and Mateusz Krajewski comment for Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
