[Poland] Allowance for night work – what changes?

The amount of the allowance for night work is determined in relation to the minimum wage. The second important variable is the number of hours to be worked in a given month. How much will the amount of the allowance be in the second half of 2024 and how much next year?

What allowance for night work in July 2024?

The method of determining the amount of the allowance for night work is regulated by the provisions of the Labour Code. Article 1518 § 1 states that: An employee performing night work is entitled to a remuneration supplement for each hour of night work in the amount of 20% of the hourly rate resulting from the minimum remuneration for work, determined on the basis of separate regulations.

So, how much the night work allowance will be, depends on:

• The amount of the minimum wage for work
• Number of hours worked per month (20% of hourly rate)

On 1 July 2024, the minimum wage increased to PLN 4,300 gross. So how much will the bonus for night work be in July this year?

Well, in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Code the hourly allowance for night work in July 2024 is:

 4,300 (minimum wage): 184 (number of working hours per month) x 20% = PLN 4.67

Interestingly, despite the increase in the minimum wage from July 2024, the amount of the allowance this month is the lowest in the entire year, and the reason for this is the highest number of hours to be worked in July. The same situation will occur again in October, when the allowance for night work will also amount to PLN 4.67.

Below we present a comparison with the remaining months of the second half of 2024 in order of highest to lowest rate:

The highest allowance will be due in November, when the number of hours to be worked will be the lowest. What about 2025?

Night work allowance in 2025 – forecasts

The increase in the minimum wage in 2025 will translate into an increase in the allowance for night work. The minimum wage in 2025 is to be PLN 4,626 gross, and the minimum hourly rate is to be PLN 30.20 gross.

Therefore, the allowance for night work in individual months in 2025 may amount to:

Again, the highest rate of bonus per hour will be due in November, while the lowest will be due, among others, in January.

However, these are only forecast values for now because the final amount of the minimum wage in 2025 has not yet been determined. On 15 July 2024, the Social Dialogue Council did not reach an agreement on this issue, so the final amount of the minimum wage next year will be known on 15 September, along with the adoption of the regulation on this matter.

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