Understand the regulations on vacation and other types of leave in Poland
In Poland, the law mandates that employees receive an annual, uninterrupted, paid vacation, also known as annual leave. The standard entitlement is 20 days for employees with less than 10 years of total work experience and 26 days for those with at least 10 years of total work experience.
The calculation of overall work experience for the purpose of vacation entitlement includes periods of education. For example, basic vocational school counts as 3 years, secondary vocational school as 5 years, general secondary school as 4 years, post-secondary school as 6 years, and higher education as 8 years.
During the first calendar year of employment, employees accrue 1/12th of their annual entitlement for each month worked.
The leave for part-time employees is proportionally reduced according to their working hours.
Employers are required to ensure that employees take their annual leave within the calendar year it's earned.
If vacation days are not used, they can be carried over to the next year but must be used by September 30th of that following year. If not, they are forfeited.
A vacation day is equivalent to 8 hours of work for full-time employees. The leave schedule is set by employers, who ideally should consider employee preference. However, they have the right to refuse leave requests if justified by operational needs. It's also important to note that employers cannot terminate employment contracts while an employee is on vacation leave.
Poland celebrates a variety of public holidays throughout the year. These holidays reflect the country's rich history, cultural traditions, and religious observances.
Public holidays are non-working days in Poland. If a public holiday falls on a weekend, there is typically no additional day off granted.
In Poland, employees are entitled to various types of leave, each with its own set of rules and regulations as stipulated by the Labour Code.
Employees gain the right to an annual, uninterrupted, paid vacation. The entitlement is 20 days for employees with less than 10 years of work experience and 26 days for those with at least 10 years of work experience. Periods of education contribute to total work experience. Employers determine leave schedules after consulting employees.
Employees are entitled to paid sick leave if they are unable to work due to illness or injury. The benefit amount is 80% of the regular salary during the first 33 days of sick leave in a calendar year (14 days if the employee is over 50 years old). Medical certification is usually required for absences beyond three days.
Maternity leave entitlement varies depending on the number of children born. It's 20 weeks for the birth of one child, 31 weeks for twins, 33 weeks for triplets, 35 weeks for quadruplets, and 37 weeks for quintuplets or more. Leave can start several weeks before the due date and portions can be transferred to the father.
Following maternity leave, parents are entitled to up to 32 weeks (or 34 weeks in case of multiple births) of additional leave. This leave is generally unpaid, but may be partially paid depending on whether the parent chooses to extend leave.
Fathers are entitled to 2 weeks of paternity leave, at 100% pay. This leave must be taken within 24 months of the child's birth.
Employees are entitled to up to 60 days per year to care for a dependent family member. This leave is generally unpaid.
Employees are entitled to 4 days per year that they can use on short notice for unforeseen circumstances. This leave is unpaid.
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