Polish hospitals refuse to count non-employment periods for seniority bonuses despite labor law changes.
Revised Labor Code Requirements
The revised labor code mandates counting additional periods of paid employment (e.g., based on civil law contracts) or running a business toward seniority. Adding these to seniority from January 2026 applies to public finance sector entities, and from May 1, 2026, will also cover other employers.
Healthcare Workers Seeking Recognition
Since January 1, self-employed and health sector employees who previously worked on contracts or other civil law agreements have been going to ZUS for certificates confirming their non-employment periods and are submitting them to hospital HR departments.
Employers’ Stance on Benefits
Employers state that additional periods of paid employment will be counted for determining vacation entitlement, but they do not intend to honor them when paying benefits such as anniversary bonuses or seniority allowances. Healthcare workers often face disappointment when seeking recognition of these periods.