Working Time Rules: Poland
Poland: standard working hours, overtime, rest, annual leave, and record-keeping rules - a practical overview, not legal advice.
Statutory working time
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.
Overtime
The statutory default limit for overtime resulting from the employer’s special needs is 150 hours per employee per calendar year, although a collective agreement, work regulations, or the employment contract may set a different limit. Overtime is generally compensated by normal pay plus a 50% or 100% supplement, depending on when it is performed, or by time off.
Rest periods
At least 11 hours of uninterrupted daily rest and at least 35 hours of uninterrupted weekly rest.
Record-keeping
Employers must keep working-time records for each employee so that pay and related entitlements are set correctly, and must show an employee those records on request. Hours are not recorded for employees on task-based working time, those managing the workplace on the employer’s behalf, and those paid a lump sum for overtime or night work.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.