Working Days and Hours 2026 - Poland
In 2026, the Polish full-time statutory working-time total in the basic system is 2,008 hours, equivalent to 251 eight-hour days. The Monday-to-Friday calendar has 253 days after weekday holidays; Saturday holidays also reduce the statutory total.
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Complete guide to working hours, public holidays, and annual leave in Poland for 2026
Statutory working hours in Poland 2026 by month
In 2026, the Polish full-time statutory working-time total in the basic system is 2,008 hours, equivalent to 251 eight-hour days. The Monday-to-Friday calendar has 253 days after weekday holidays; Saturday holidays also reduce the statutory total.
Full time, basic Polish norms, monthly settlement periods; no personal absences deducted.
Polish statutory holidays. Article 130 reduces full-time working hours by eight for each holiday other than Sunday. A Saturday holiday is not a calendar weekday, but still reduces the statutory total. The employer schedules the compensating day within the settlement period.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. With a keyboard, focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Month | Equivalent eight-hour days | Working hours | Holidays reducing the total |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 20 | 160 | 2 |
| February 2026 | 20 | 160 | 0 |
| March 2026 | 22 | 176 | 0 |
| April 2026 | 21 | 168 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 20 | 160 | 1 |
| June 2026 | 21 | 168 | 1 |
| July 2026 | 23 | 184 | 0 |
| August 2026 | 20 | 160 | 1 |
| September 2026 | 22 | 176 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 22 | 176 | 0 |
| November 2026 | 20 | 160 | 1 |
| December 2026 | 20 | 160 | 3 |
| Total | 251 | 2,008 | 10 |
The accessible table contains the same figures.
Working hours in January 2026
With a monthly settlement period, January 2026 has 160 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 20 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 2.
Working hours in February 2026
With a monthly settlement period, February 2026 has 160 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 20 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 0.
Working hours in March 2026
With a monthly settlement period, March 2026 has 176 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 22 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 0.
Working hours in April 2026
With a monthly settlement period, April 2026 has 168 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 21 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 1.
Working hours in May 2026
With a monthly settlement period, May 2026 has 160 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 20 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 1.
Working hours in June 2026
With a monthly settlement period, June 2026 has 168 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 21 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 1.
Working hours in July 2026
With a monthly settlement period, July 2026 has 184 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 23 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 0.
Working hours in August 2026
With a monthly settlement period, August 2026 has 160 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 20 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 1.
Working hours in September 2026
With a monthly settlement period, September 2026 has 176 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 22 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 0.
Working hours in October 2026
With a monthly settlement period, October 2026 has 176 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 22 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 0.
Working hours in November 2026
With a monthly settlement period, November 2026 has 160 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 20 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 1.
Working hours in December 2026
With a monthly settlement period, December 2026 has 160 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 20 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 3.
Working-time calculator for Poland
Choose a settlement period and employment fraction. The result uses the basic Polish working-time norms, not the employee’s attendance or number of shifts.
Basic Polish norms: 8 hours/day, 40 hours/week; employment fraction 1. No personal absences deducted.
2,008 hours - 251 equivalent eight-hour days, not a shift count.
Calculation: (261 Monday-to-Friday days - 10 holidays outside Sunday) × 8 × 1 = 2,008 hours.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. With a keyboard, focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Month | Equivalent eight-hour days | Working hours | Holidays reducing the total |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 20 | 160 | 2 |
| February 2026 | 20 | 160 | 0 |
| March 2026 | 22 | 176 | 0 |
| April 2026 | 21 | 168 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 20 | 160 | 1 |
| June 2026 | 21 | 168 | 1 |
| July 2026 | 23 | 184 | 0 |
| August 2026 | 20 | 160 | 1 |
| September 2026 | 22 | 176 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 22 | 176 | 0 |
| November 2026 | 20 | 160 | 1 |
| December 2026 | 20 | 160 | 3 |
| Total | 251 | 2,008 | 10 |
Polish statutory holidays. Article 130 reduces full-time working hours by eight for each holiday other than Sunday. A Saturday holiday is not a calendar weekday, but still reduces the statutory total. The employer schedules the compensating day within the settlement period.
How to read the working-hour totals
Polish statutory holidays. Article 130 reduces full-time working hours by eight for each holiday other than Sunday. A Saturday holiday is not a calendar weekday, but still reduces the statutory total. The employer schedules the compensating day within the settlement period.
Count the selected working weekdays, subtract the included holidays that fall on those days, then multiply the remaining days by daily hours. Each holiday date is counted once. A holiday on a day you already exclude does not reduce the total again. Legal reductions and official substitute days follow their own rules.
Local working-calendar questions and examples
How many hours are required at 1/2, 3/4 or 1/4 time?
Multiply the full-time total by the employment fraction. In 2026 and 2027, 2008 full-time hours become 1004 hours at 1/2 time, 1506 at 3/4 and 502 at 1/4. For October 2026, 176 hours become 88, 132 and 44 respectively. These hours do not determine how many shifts an employee works.
How many hours are in three- and four-month settlement periods?
For calendar quarters in 2026, full-time hours are 496, 496, 520 and 496. For four-month periods starting in January, May and September, the totals are 664, 672 and 672 hours. The monthly table assumes monthly settlement periods. An employer can place a Saturday-holiday compensating day in a different month of the same settlement period.
Which Saturday holidays reduce working time in 2026 and 2027?
In 2026, 15 August and 26 December fall on Saturday. In 2027, the dates are 1 May and 25 December. Article 130 § 2 reduces full-time working time by eight hours for each holiday outside Sunday. For a Monday-to-Friday schedule, the employer must provide a compensating day in the settlement period. Sunday holidays do not cause this reduction.
Is Christmas Eve a public holiday in 2026 and 2027?
Yes. Christmas Eve has been a statutory public holiday in Poland since 2025. It falls on Thursday in 2026 and Friday in 2027. It reduces full-time working time by eight hours in both years. December totals are 160 hours in 2026 and 168 in 2027 under monthly settlement periods.
How is the Polish statutory working-time total calculated?
Article 130 starts with 40 hours per full week in the settlement period, adds eight hours for remaining Monday-to-Friday days, then subtracts eight hours for each public holiday other than Sunday. In August 2026: 40 × 4 + 8 × 1 - 8 × 1 = 160 hours. The calculation uses the basic 8-hour daily and 40-hour weekly norms.
Does the annual total equal the hours an employee actually works?
No. The statutory total is the starting point for scheduling and settlement, not an attendance record. Annual leave and other justified absences reduce an employee’s hours according to the schedule. Different working-time systems and special daily norms require their own assessment. Project hours, billable hours and overtime are separate records.
Does the 2026 total already deduct annual leave?
No. The 2008-hour figure is calculated before personal absences. If an October 2026 schedule contains five eight-hour days of approved leave, subtract 40 hours from that employee’s 176-hour starting total: 136 hours remain to be worked. Deduct the scheduled hours of absence, not an assumed eight hours for every employee.
Does exceeding a monthly table automatically mean overtime?
The annual or monthly table alone does not establish overtime. Daily norms, the employee’s system and schedule, and weekly settlement also matter. For part-time employees, hours above the contract and statutory overtime are different concepts. Compare actual records with the individual schedule and applicable rules rather than treating 176 hours as a universal overtime threshold.
Does the whole-year calculator authorize a 12-month settlement period?
No. The whole-year result is an annual reference total. The basic system normally uses a settlement period of up to four months. An extension to as much as 12 months requires the statutory conditions and procedure. Select the period actually adopted by the employer; adding the year’s hours does not create permission to redistribute work freely across all 12 months.
Can the eight-hour-day equivalent be used for 12-hour shifts?
No. Dividing statutory hours by eight gives a reference equivalent, not the number of shifts. In an equivalent working-time system, longer scheduled days are balanced within the applicable settlement period and rest rules still apply. A 160-hour month does not automatically mean twenty shifts for a person working 12-hour days. Use that person’s approved schedule.
Working hours 2027: plan the next year
Polish statutory holidays. Article 130 reduces full-time working hours by eight for each holiday other than Sunday. A Saturday holiday is not a calendar weekday, but still reduces the statutory total. The employer schedules the compensating day within the settlement period.
In 2027, the Polish full-time statutory working-time total in the basic system is 2,008 hours, equivalent to 251 eight-hour days. The Monday-to-Friday calendar has 253 days after weekday holidays; Saturday holidays also reduce the statutory total.
With the same working days and daily hours, the 2027 preview differs from 2026 by 0 hours. The calendars may cover different holidays; check their scope before using the comparison for a budget.
Confirmed holiday dates in the 2027 preview
- - New Year’s Day
- - Epiphany
- - Easter Sunday
- - Easter Monday
- - Labour Day
- - Constitution Day
- - Pentecost Sunday
- - Corpus Christi
- - Assumption of Mary
- - All Saints' Day
- - Independence Day
- - Christmas Eve
- - Christmas Day
- - Second Day of Christmas
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. With a keyboard, focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Month | Equivalent eight-hour days | Working hours | Holidays reducing the total |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2027 | 19 | 152 | 2 |
| February 2027 | 20 | 160 | 0 |
| March 2027 | 22 | 176 | 1 |
| April 2027 | 22 | 176 | 0 |
| May 2027 | 18 | 144 | 3 |
| June 2027 | 22 | 176 | 0 |
| July 2027 | 22 | 176 | 0 |
| August 2027 | 22 | 176 | 0 |
| September 2027 | 22 | 176 | 0 |
| October 2027 | 21 | 168 | 0 |
| November 2027 | 20 | 160 | 2 |
| December 2027 | 21 | 168 | 2 |
| Total | 251 | 2,008 | 10 |
The accessible table contains the same figures.
Working hours in January 2027
With a monthly settlement period, January 2027 has 152 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 19 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 2.
Working hours in February 2027
With a monthly settlement period, February 2027 has 160 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 20 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 0.
Working hours in March 2027
With a monthly settlement period, March 2027 has 176 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 22 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 1.
Working hours in April 2027
With a monthly settlement period, April 2027 has 176 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 22 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 0.
Working hours in May 2027
With a monthly settlement period, May 2027 has 144 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 18 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 3.
Working hours in June 2027
With a monthly settlement period, June 2027 has 176 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 22 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 0.
Working hours in July 2027
With a monthly settlement period, July 2027 has 176 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 22 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 0.
Working hours in August 2027
With a monthly settlement period, August 2027 has 176 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 22 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 0.
Working hours in September 2027
With a monthly settlement period, September 2027 has 176 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 22 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 0.
Working hours in October 2027
With a monthly settlement period, October 2027 has 168 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 21 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 0.
Working hours in November 2027
With a monthly settlement period, November 2027 has 160 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 20 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 2.
Working hours in December 2027
With a monthly settlement period, December 2027 has 168 statutory full-time hours, equivalent to 21 eight-hour days. Public holidays outside Sunday reducing this month’s total: 2.
Working hours 2026 at full time, 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 time
Use the monthly comparison to check a part-time schedule without recalculating every row. The annual hours are 2008, 1506, 1004 and 502 respectively. These are hours before individual absences; the contract and schedule determine how those hours are distributed across days.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. With a keyboard, focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Month | Full time | 3/4 | 1/2 | 1/4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 160 | 120 | 80 | 40 |
| February | 160 | 120 | 80 | 40 |
| March | 176 | 132 | 88 | 44 |
| April | 168 | 126 | 84 | 42 |
| May | 160 | 120 | 80 | 40 |
| June | 168 | 126 | 84 | 42 |
| July | 184 | 138 | 92 | 46 |
| August | 160 | 120 | 80 | 40 |
| September | 176 | 132 | 88 | 44 |
| October | 176 | 132 | 88 | 44 |
| November | 160 | 120 | 80 | 40 |
| December | 160 | 120 | 80 | 40 |
| Total | 2,008 | 1,506 | 1,004 | 502 |
Three- and four-month settlement periods in 2026
The table groups calendar-aligned periods: quarters starting in January, April, July and October, and four-month periods starting in January, May and September. A different starting month can produce a different result. Select it in the calculator. The annual sum does not authorize an annual settlement period.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. With a keyboard, focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Period | Months | Full-time hours | Hours at 1/2 time |
|---|---|---|---|
| January - March | 3 | 496 | 248 |
| April - June | 3 | 496 | 248 |
| July - September | 3 | 520 | 260 |
| October - December | 3 | 496 | 248 |
| January - April | 4 | 664 | 332 |
| May - August | 4 | 672 | 336 |
| September - December | 4 | 672 | 336 |
August and December 2026: two worked examples
August has four full weeks and one remaining Monday-to-Friday day: 4 × 40 + 1 × 8 = 168 hours before holidays. Saturday 15 August reduces the total by eight hours, leaving 160. At 3/4 time that becomes 120 hours. The employer schedules the compensating day within the adopted settlement period.
December starts with 23 Monday-to-Friday days, equivalent to 184 hours before holidays. Christmas Eve on Thursday, Christmas Day on Friday and 26 December on Saturday each reduce full time by eight hours: 184 - 24 = 160. At 1/2 time the monthly total is 80 hours. Sunday holidays do not create this reduction.
Which months have the most and least working hours in 2026?
The 2026 calendar for Poland has a highest monthly total of 184 hours (July). The lowest is 160 hours (January, February, May, August, November, December). The difference is 24 hours per full-time person before leave, absences and company closures.
Compare delivery commitments by available hours, not by the number of months. Two equally priced monthly retainers can require different staffing when one month has fewer working days. Keep the calendar assumptions fixed, then adjust for each person’s schedule and approved leave before promising project capacity.
From October’s hours to a realistic project budget
Illustrative example for October 2026: start with 176 hours, reserve 16 hours for two scheduled days of approved leave and 24 hours for internal work. That leaves 136 hours for project allocation. It is a planning budget, not a promise that every remaining hour is billable or a record of hours actually worked.
Before the month begins, assign capacity to projects. During the month, keep actual project hours separately. At close, compare planned capacity with recorded work and approved absences; explain the differences before preparing client reports. A national calendar cannot replace either the employee’s schedule or the project record.
Understand billable utilization · Plan project staffing with the free capacity template · Use approved timesheets for client billing
Long weekends and leave planning in Poland in 2026
For a Monday-to-Friday schedule, the examples below combine weekends and national holidays with approved leave on every remaining working weekday. They do not deduct leave from everyone’s statutory annual total. They also exclude employer-selected days off for Saturday holidays, so those days are not counted twice.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. With a keyboard, focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Dates, inclusive | Consecutive calendar days off | Working weekdays requiring approved leave |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2026 - Jan 4, 2026 | 4 | 1 |
| Apr 4, 2026 - Apr 6, 2026 | 3 | 0 |
| May 1, 2026 - May 3, 2026 | 3 | 0 |
| Jun 4, 2026 - Jun 7, 2026 | 4 | 1 |
| Dec 24, 2026 - Dec 27, 2026 | 4 | 0 |
| Dec 24, 2026 - Jan 3, 2027 | 11 | 4 |
From 24 December 2026 through 3 January 2027, a Monday-to-Friday employee can have eleven consecutive calendar days off by taking approved leave on 28, 29, 30 and 31 December. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are already holidays. The date of the separate day off for Saturday 26 December is the employer’s decision within the settlement period.
Check the employee’s actual schedule before submitting a leave request. Leave is charged for the hours scheduled on the days of absence; a person working different weekdays or longer shifts needs an individual calculation. An attractive calendar window is not approval of the leave request.
Record approved leave in the free leave tracker · Check another date range
2026 versus 2027: compare the hours month by month
An unchanged annual total can hide a different monthly workload. Compare matching months before reusing a staffing or delivery budget for 2027. This table uses the same daily hours and weekday assumptions in both years; regional and employer-specific calendars still need their own adjustments.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. With a keyboard, focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Month | 2026 | 2027 | Change in hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 160 | 152 | -8 |
| February | 160 | 160 | 0 |
| March | 176 | 176 | 0 |
| April | 168 | 176 | 8 |
| May | 160 | 144 | -16 |
| June | 168 | 176 | 8 |
| July | 184 | 176 | -8 |
| August | 160 | 176 | 16 |
| September | 176 | 176 | 0 |
| October | 176 | 168 | -8 |
| November | 160 | 160 | 0 |
| December | 160 | 168 | 8 |
| Total | 2,008 | 2,008 | 0 |
See the assumptions and confirmed dates for 2027 · Calculate a different period or working week
Free templates for planning and recording hours
Download editable spreadsheets or printable PDFs without registration. Keep calendar capacity, leave and actual time records separate.
Monthly timesheet
Record actual hours separately from the calendar’s planned total.
Download Excel · Download PDF
Work schedule
Turn monthly capacity into a team schedule and record company days off.
Download Excel · Download PDF
Vacation and leave tracker
Account for personal leave before assigning work to a project.
Download Excel · Download PDF
Time off in lieu tracker
Keep a record of granted compensating leave and its remaining balance.
Download Excel · Download PDFFrom the calendar to reliable time records
A calendar tells you how many hours can be planned. A time record tells you which project used them. Review the actual hours before reporting or billing.
Working Hours and Leave in Poland 2026
Working week used in calculations
The Polish calculation uses the basic eight-hour daily and forty-hour weekly norms. The employee’s actual schedule can differ.
- 8 hours per day
- 5 days per week
- 40 hours per week
Under the Labour Code (Art. 129 § 1), working time may not exceed 8 hours per day and an average of 40 hours in a five-day working week within a settlement period not exceeding 4 months.
Annual Leave Entitlement
20 - 26 days
20 days for holiday-service length below ten years; 26 from ten years. Statutory credited periods also count, so this is not just years with the current employer.
Monthly Averages
- 20.9 equivalent eight-hour days/month
- 167.3 working hours/month
Public Holidays in Poland 2026
The stated calendar for Poland lists 14 holidays in 2026, with 8 falling on weekdays. See full public holidays list
Polish statutory holidays. Article 130 reduces full-time working hours by eight for each holiday other than Sunday. A Saturday holiday is not a calendar weekday, but still reduces the statutory total. The employer schedules the compensating day within the settlement period.
Understanding Holiday Types
Different countries use different terminology for non-working days. Here is what each term means for workforce planning.
Public Holidays
Public holidays listed in the country’s calendar. Check the country guide for the rules on time off, holiday pay and regional differences.
Federal Holidays
Holidays listed in a federal calendar. Check which government offices and employers the calendar covers before applying it to a private workplace.
Bank Holidays
Days when banks and financial institutions are closed. In the UK, this term is synonymous with public holidays. Important for payroll processing and payment schedules.
Observances
Notable dates that are not official days off. Examples include Earth Day or Mother’s Day. These do not affect work schedules unless an employer chooses to recognize them.
| Date | Day | Holiday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jan 1 | Thursday | New Year’s Day (Nowy Rok) | |
| Tue, Jan 6 | Tuesday | Epiphany (Święto Trzech Króli) | |
| Sun, Apr 5 | Sunday | Easter Sunday (Wielkanoc) | Weekend |
| Mon, Apr 6 | Monday | Easter Monday (Poniedziałek Wielkanocny) | |
| Fri, May 1 | Friday | Labour Day (Święto Pracy) | |
| Sun, May 3 | Sunday | Constitution Day (Święto Konstytucji 3 Maja) | Weekend |
| Sun, May 24 | Sunday | Pentecost Sunday (Zielone Świątki) | Weekend |
| Thu, Jun 4 | Thursday | Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało) | |
| Sat, Aug 15 | Saturday | Assumption of Mary (Wniebowzięcie Najświętszej Maryi Panny) | Weekend |
| Sun, Nov 1 | Sunday | All Saints' Day (Wszystkich Świętych) | Weekend |
| Wed, Nov 11 | Wednesday | Independence Day (Święto Niepodległości) | |
| Thu, Dec 24 | Thursday | Christmas Eve (Wigilia Bożego Narodzenia) | |
| Fri, Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day (Boże Narodzenie) | |
| Sat, Dec 26 | Saturday | Second Day of Christmas (Drugi dzień Świąt) | Weekend |
Turn working days into tracked hours
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