Notice Period in Poland — How Long Is It and How Is It Calculated? | Liczbnik

An employee with 4 years of service with the current employer is entitled to a 3-month notice period under the Polish Labour Code. This is the maximum statutory notice period in Poland and applies to all employees with 3 or more years of service. The 3-month notice period starts on the first day of the calendar month following the month in which notice was given. So if notice is given on any day in April, the notice period runs from 1 May to 31 July, with the last working day being 31 July.

The notice period does not start on the exact day notice is given in Poland — it starts at a specific point after delivery. For 2-week and 1-month notice periods, the period starts at the beginning of the next calendar week (i.e., the Sunday following delivery, so effectively the Monday of the following week). For 3-month notice periods, it starts on the first day of the following calendar month. This means the effective duration is always at least as long as the stated period and often slightly longer. For example, notice given on a Friday (2-week period) does not expire until 2 full weeks from the following Monday.

Severance pay (odprawa pracownicza) in Poland is mandatory for employees made redundant due to collective redundancies at companies with 20 or more employees. The amount depends on length of service: 1 month salary for under 2 years; 2 months salary for 2 to 8 years; 3 months salary for 8 or more years. Severance is capped at 15 times the minimum wage (approximately 69 990 PLN in 2026). For individual redundancies at smaller companies, severance is not always legally mandated but may be granted under collective agreements or individual contracts. Always check your employment contract and company agreements.

Yes. The employer and employee can agree in writing to shorten the notice period. This is common when both parties prefer a faster separation — for example, when the employee has a new job waiting and the employer has no objection. The agreement must be written and freely entered into by both parties. The employer cannot unilaterally impose a shorter notice period — the employee must genuinely agree. If the employer shortens the notice unilaterally without paying compensation, the employee can claim damages equal to the unpaid notice period salary.

Yes, garden leave is recognised in Polish Labour Code. The employer can release the employee from the duty to come to work during the notice period (zwolnienie z obowiazku swiadczenia pracy) while continuing to pay full salary. During garden leave, the employee cannot work for another employer without consent, continues to accrue annual leave, and maintains health insurance through ZUS. It is commonly used when an employee is joining a competitor, when a role is being eliminated, or when the working relationship has become difficult. Garden leave must be offered by the employer — the employee cannot demand it unilaterally.

If your employer terminates your employment without observing the statutory notice period, you are entitled to compensation (odszkodowanie) equivalent to the salary you would have received during the unserved notice period. This can be pursued in the Labour Court (sad pracy). You must file the claim within 21 days of receiving the termination letter. Alternatively, if the dismissal was illegal for other reasons (e.g., no stated reason, dismissal during sick leave), you can seek reinstatement or full compensation at the court's discretion.

Yes, but probation periods (umowa na okres probny) have shorter notice periods than permanent contracts: 3 business days for probation under 2 weeks; 1 week for probation between 2 weeks and 3 months; 2 weeks for a 3-month probation period. These shorter periods apply regardless of the general notice period rules. At the end of probation, if neither party gives notice, the contract typically converts to the type specified in the original probation contract (fixed-term or indefinite).

Yes. During the notice period, you can use outstanding annual leave if the employer directs you to do so. In fact, the employer can compel you to take remaining annual leave during the notice period rather than paying it out in cash at termination. If you initiated the resignation yourself, the employer can send you on annual leave without your consent. If the employer is terminating you, they can also direct you to use leave — but if there is insufficient notice period time to exhaust all outstanding leave, they must pay the remainder as cash (ekwiwalent za urlop).

Yes, the notice period is legally binding. If you resign and then stop showing up for work without the employer's consent, you are in breach of your employment contract. The employer can claim damages for losses caused by your absence, reduce any final settlement, and you may lose entitlement to certain benefits. More practically, it creates a bad professional reference. The correct approach if you wish to leave faster than the notice period allows is to negotiate a mutual written agreement (porozumienie stron) to shorten or waive the remaining notice period.

Porozumienie stron (mutual agreement termination) is the most amicable way to end employment in Poland. Both the employer and employee agree in writing to end the employment relationship on a specific date, bypassing the standard notice period requirements entirely. The termination date can be immediate or any future date both parties agree on. It avoids the need for the employer to give a formal reason, skips the notice period waiting time, and typically results in a cleaner separation. It is commonly used when a new job requires a quick start date. Employees should be aware that termination by mutual agreement can affect eligibility for unemployment benefits (zasilek dla bezrobotnych).