How much vacation time do Polish employees get?
If you're planning to work in Poland or are already employed here, understanding your vacation entitlement is crucial for balancing your professional and personal life. Polish labor law provides clear and protective guidelines when it comes to annual leave, ensuring employees get proper rest and time away from work.
In this blog post, we’ll break down how much vacation time employees in Poland receive, how it's calculated, how it compares with other countries, and what additional types of leave you might be entitled to.
1. Annual Leave Entitlement in Poland
In Poland, the number of paid vacation days an employee is entitled to depends on their total years of work experience, not just their time with the current employer.
There are two standard thresholds:
- 20 days of paid annual leave for employees with less than 10 years of employment history
- 26 days of paid annual leave for employees with 10 years or more of employment history
2. How Work Experience is Counted
Poland uses a cumulative system to calculate years of employment. This includes:
- Previous employment in Poland or abroad (with documentation)
- Time spent in higher education (e.g., a 3-year bachelor's degree counts as 8 years of work experience for leave purposes)
- Vocational schools and secondary education also add a set number of years to your experience
Example: If you graduated with a bachelor’s degree (8 years of credited work experience) and have worked for 2 years after that, you're already entitled to 26 vacation days.
3. Accrual of Vacation Days
Employees in Poland accrue vacation gradually, particularly in their first year of employment:
- In the first calendar year, vacation is accrued at a rate of 1/12 of your annual entitlement for each month worked
- From the second year onward, the full annual allotment is granted at the beginning of the year
For example, if you're entitled to 20 days and started your job in April, by December you'd have earned 15 vacation days (20 ÷ 12 × 9 months).
4. Taking Vacation: Rules and Practices
Advance planning is important. Vacation leave must generally be approved in advance by your employer. Some companies request that you submit a leave schedule at the beginning of the year.
Key rules include:
- You can split your vacation into multiple shorter periods
- One vacation period per year must be at least 14 consecutive calendar days (including weekends)
- Unused vacation days must be used by the end of the following calendar year
If you don’t use your leave, your employer must allow you to carry it over, but after 3 years of non-use, the days may expire or become subject to legal limits.
5. Public Holidays and Additional Days Off
Poland has 13 public holidays (some of which move year to year). If a public holiday falls on a weekend, it is not automatically compensated with an extra day off unless it falls on a Saturday (in which case employers must offer a substitute day).
Popular public holidays include:
- New Year’s Day (January 1)
- Constitution Day (May 3)
- Independence Day (November 11)
- Christmas (December 25 and 26)
Additionally, some workplaces offer "bridge days" (e.g., taking Friday off if a public holiday is on Thursday) as a courtesy, though these are not legally required.
6. Other Types of Leave in Poland
In addition to annual vacation leave, employees in Poland are entitled to several other types of paid or unpaid leave, including:
- Sick leave: Paid after the first 33 days (or 14 days for workers over 50), covered by ZUS (Polish Social Insurance)
- Parental leave: Up to 41 weeks for both parents combined
- Maternity leave: 20 weeks mandatory for mothers
- Paternity leave: 2 weeks paid
- Childcare leave: Available for parents with children under 14
- Unpaid leave: Possible with employer agreement
7. How Poland Compares with Other Countries
Compared to other countries in Europe:
- Poland's 20–26 days is in line with or slightly better than many other EU countries
- For instance, Germany offers 20 legal vacation days (plus public holidays), but in practice many companies give 25–30
- France legally mandates 25 days, but actual time off can be more due to reduced working hours
- The UK mandates 28 days (including public holidays), but exact use can vary
8. Vacation Culture in Poland
Vacation is taken seriously in Polish work culture, particularly in the summer months (June through August). Many offices operate at reduced capacity during this time, and it's common for employees to take long holidays — often two weeks at a time.
Poles typically travel to:
- The Baltic Sea coast in the north
- The Tatra Mountains in the south
- Neighboring countries like Slovakia, Czechia, and Croatia
Employers are generally respectful of vacation time, and there’s not a strong “work while on holiday” culture. You are expected — and encouraged — to disconnect.
Final Thoughts
Whether you're a newcomer to Poland or already working here, it's essential to understand how vacation time is structured. Knowing your entitlements not only helps you plan your time off, but also gives insight into the country’s work-life values.
Tip: Always check your employment contract and internal HR policies, as some employers offer more generous vacation packages or additional benefits.
