August 14 and 15, 2026: Two Days Off, But Not for Everyone

August 14 and 15, 2026, will give some employees a long weekend, but private sector rules and public administration regulations differ regarding time off for a Saturday holiday.

August 14 Free from Work, But Not for Everyone

August 14, 2026, falls on a Friday. For some employees, this will automatically be an additional day off without the need to submit a vacation leave request.

This decision stems directly from Ordinance No. 2 of the Prime Minister dated January 5, 2026. The Prime Minister designated this day off for members of the civil service corps in exchange for the holiday falling on Saturday, August 15. As a result, civil servants will gain an uninterrupted, three-day long weekend from August 14 to 16. However, this does not mean that August 14 is a statutory day off from work for all Poles.

Who Exactly Has August 14, 2026 Off?

The right to rest on Friday, August 14, is guaranteed by legal regulations exclusively to members of the civil service corps. This group includes individuals employed in clerical positions in places such as:

The mere fact of working in a public institution does not automatically mean that a given person belongs to the civil service corps. Their status and place of employment are decisive.

August 15 Falls on a Saturday: The Employer MUST Grant a Day Off

According to the Labor Code (Article 130 § 2), any holiday occurring in a settlement period and falling on a day other than Sunday reduces working time by 8 hours. Because August 15, 2026 (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary) falls on a Saturday, employers have an absolute obligation to designate another day off for employees.

Does a Private Company Have to Grant August 14 Off?

In a private company, the employer does not have to designate the day off for August 15 precisely on Friday, August 14. They can indicate a different date, provided that the day off is granted in the same settlement period in which the holiday falls.

The employer in a private company must reduce the working time by 8 hours, but they determine the schedule for taking the day off themselves. They may designate Friday, August 14, or Monday, August 17, creating a long weekend, but they also have the right to indicate a completely different day in a given settlement period (e.g., at the end of the month). With a monthly settlement period, the time off must be given by the end of August. As a result, in August 2026, the working time for a full-time position is exactly 160 hours (20 working days). The employer can therefore set both August 14 and, for example, August 17 as a day off. The final decision belongs to them.

These Offices and Institutions Will Be Closed on August 14

For people planning to handle official matters on August 14, it is important that many institutions will be closed on this day. On August 14, closed locations will include:

What If the Employee Is on Sick Leave or Vacation on the Designated Day Off?

If the employer has designated a specific day off for a holiday falling on a Saturday (e.g., August 14) and the employee during that time:

How Many Hours Must Be Worked in August 2026?

The holiday on August 15 falling on a Saturday reduces the working time by 8 hours. For an employee employed full-time, working from Monday to Friday, 8 hours a day, and covered by a monthly settlement period, the working time in August 2026 is 160 hours, which is 20 working days. The employer should arrange the schedule so that this dimension is maintained.

Up to PLN 60,000 Fine for the Employer: Authorities Will Inspect Work Schedules

An employer who forgets to designate an additional day off for August 15 or incorrectly calculates working time commits an offense against employee rights. The sanctions are severe. It is worth remembering that after the change in regulations, the amount of fines imposed by the National Labor Inspectorate and other bodies for violating working time regulations ranges from PLN 2,000 to even PLN 60,000 (Article 281 § 1 point 5 of the Labor Code).

August 14 or 15? The Most Important Information for Employees

August 14, 2026, is not a statutory day off for all employees. Friday will be free for members of the civil service corps and for those employees whose employer specifically designated that day off for the holiday falling on Saturday.

August 15, 2026, is a statutory holiday free from work, but this year it falls on a Saturday. For employees covered by the average five-day workweek rule, this means the necessity of reducing the working time by 8 hours and designating another day off. This means some employees will have a long weekend from August 14 to 16, while others will work on August 14 and take time off for August 15 at another time.