Starting in 2026, Polish employees can include up to 10 years of service from civil law contracts and self-employment toward their total work seniority, provided they submit the required application.
Major Changes to Employment Seniority Rules
New regulations for calculating work seniority now apply to employees in both private and state-owned firms. This significant shift in the labor market may grant many individuals additional vacation days, seniority bonuses, or access to previously unavailable entitlements.
The changes primarily benefit those who worked on mandate contracts (umowa zlecenie) or ran their own businesses, as these periods previously did not count toward formal employment seniority. With over 1.5 million mandate contract workers and 2.9 million active businesses in Poland, the impact of these changes is expected to be extensive.
Scope and Application of the New Law
The updated rules allow periods covered by pension and disability insurance under mandate contracts or service agreements to be added to one’s total seniority. This is a critical change for younger workers whose early career stages were dominated by such contracts, often leaving them starting from zero seniority when transitioning to full-time employment.
By documenting these periods, employees may cross the 10-year seniority threshold, qualifying for 26 days of annual leave instead of the standard 20. Similar benefits apply to those who were self-employed, as this professional activity will now be recognized when calculating workplace rights.
Important Limitations and Clarifications
It is vital to note that these changes do not affect pension seniority, nor do they influence eligibility for or the amount of retirement benefits. The adjustment is strictly limited to employment-related rights, such as vacation accrual, tenure bonuses, and jubilee awards.
Procedural Requirements for Employees
The inclusion of these periods is not automatic; employees must obtain a certificate from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) and present it to their employer. Certificates can be generated electronically through an eZUS account. If ZUS cannot verify a specific period due to missing archives, alternative documentation may be used to confirm work history.
Employees have a specific deadline to submit these documents: 24 months from the effective date. For those in the public finance sector, the period begins on January 1, 2026, while for private sector employees, the clock starts on May 1, 2026.