No Statutory Jubilee Bonus for 50 Years of Work, MRPiPS Clarifies

The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy has announced it has no plans to introduce a statutory jubilee bonus for employees with 50 years of professional experience.

Ministry Clarifies Rules on Jubilee Bonus

Employees with 50 years of service will not currently receive a statutory jubilee bonus simply for working half a century. The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy has explained that it is not working on introducing such a benefit. Any potential changes would require interference in many separate regulations governing the rights of various professional groups.

The matter of introducing an additional benefit for individuals who have achieved a very long career came before the Ministry. The issue involved establishing a jubilee bonus for 50 years of work, stemming from a petition directed to the Sejm. Its author pointed out that current regulations do not provide for a universal bonus for such a long period of professional activity, even though some employees remain in the labor market for several decades. However, the Ministry did not support the introduction of such a solution.

No Basis for Changes in 50-Year Bonus

As Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk explained, there is currently no basis for the resort to undertake legislative work concerning the introduction of a jubilee bonus after 50 years of work.

The Minister indicated that issues regarding jubilee bonuses are regulated in various legal acts concerning individual professional groups. There is no single provision in the Labor Code granting all employees the right to such a benefit.

Labor Code Does Not Guarantee Jubilee Bonus

The jubilee bonus is not a universal benefit resulting from the Labor Code. Only those groups of employees for whom it has been provided in special regulations have the right to it. This applies, among others, to:

Remaining employees may receive a jubilee bonus if such a benefit has been provided, for example, in remuneration regulations, a collective labor agreement, or an employment contract.

Difficulties in Introducing the Bonus

The MRPiPS noted that establishing a new benefit would require changes encompassing the entire labor law system. It would be necessary, among other things, to:

The resort emphasized that in the case of public sector employees, decisions concerning changes in the scope of jubilee bonuses also remain within the competence of the competent ministers.

Current Rules for Local Government Employees

Local government employees have the right to a jubilee bonus on the principles defined in the Act on Local Government Employees and in the ordinance of the Council of Ministers regarding the remuneration of local government employees. The amount of the bonus depends on the work experience and currently amounts to:

Longer Work Experience Following 2026 Changes

The topic of jubilee bonuses has become particularly significant following changes concerning the determination of work experience, which take effect starting in 2026. The new regulations allowed, in specific cases, for periods previously not included to be counted when determining employee rights, including the performance of mandate contracts or running a business activity. This applies particularly to employees of the public finance sector, including local government employees, because the right to a jubilee bonus depends, among other things, on the length of service.

Employer Discretion in Implementing the Bonus

In the case of employers who are not covered by the statutory obligation to pay jubilee bonuses, it is possible to establish such a benefit in internal workplace regulations. The employer can define the rules for granting the bonus, for example, in remuneration regulations. This does not mean, however, that an employee will automatically gain the right to the bonus after 50 years of work—the existence of an appropriate legal basis is necessary.