[Poland] Working time in 2025: practical tips for employers

Some employers plan to hire new employees, others want to optimize the work schedule in the organization. The needs are different, but working time is important for every company. How to calculate working time? How many days off are employees entitled to in 2025?

What is working time and why is it important?

Working time is an extremely important element of labour law. The efficient functioning of a company and its compliance with the legislation depend on, among other things, compliance with working time. It is therefore a key aspect of organizational management, and even more so of human resources management.

Working time is a framework that determines whether an employee is ready to perform work at a place designated for its performance. Therefore, it is very important to correctly calculate the working time and to settle it, in which case the automatic working time settlement (RCP system) becomes invaluable.

How to calculate working time?

Calculating working time may seem complicated, but there is a simple mathematical formula. Both working hours and the method of calculating them are regulated by the provisions of the Labor Code (Article 129 § 1).

In the case of a full-time employee, to calculate working time one must:

• multiply the number of weeks in the settlement period (the settlement period for such an employee should not exceed 4 months) by 40 hours and add the product of 8 hours and the number of days remaining until the end of the period, falling from Monday to Friday, and subtract 8 hours for each non-working holiday falling on a day other than Sunday.

However, the employer should pay attention to several other important aspects regarding determining working hours, including:

• Individual calculations: please note that working hours may be determined individually for each employee, e.g. different for full-time and part-time employment;
• Overtime: work in excess of the designated working hours requires the employee’s consent and is paid additionally;
• Breaks: the employer is obliged to provide employees with appropriate breaks at work in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Code;
• Documentation: the employer is obliged to keep accurate documentation of the working time of their employees – we offer access to the Working Time Settlement System (RCP), which is part of our Asistar platform. Asistar is also an E-file – full digitalization of employee documents.

In addition, it is worth remembering that settlement periods are not equal and may last:

• 4 weeks for continuous work, i.e. for work that cannot be stopped due to production technology,
• 1 month for equivalent working time, shortened working time introduced at the employee’s request, work performed only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, at the employee’s request,
• 3 months in the event of the introduction of equivalent working time justified by special cases,
• 4 months for, among others, the basic working time system, the balanced working time system, and for work dependent on the season or weather conditions.

How many working hours in 2025?

In 2025, employees will work 2,000 hours, which is 250 working days. However, next year, two holidays will fall on a Saturday (3 May Constitution Day and 1 November All Saints’ Day). They reduce working hours.

Compared to some previous years, working time has therefore been slightly shortened (in 2024, the total annual working time of an employee employed on a five-day basis was 2,008 working hours, i.e. a total of 251 days to be worked).

How many days off from work in 2025?

In 2025, there will be a total of 115 days off from work, including 13 public holidays. It is worth noting that the most working days fall in July and October, while the fewest in November.

The table below presents the number of working days and hours to be worked, broken down into subsequent months in 2025.

Working time and benefits for companies

Working time is an important element of labour law that has a direct impact on the functioning of every company. Employers should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the applicable regulations and apply them in practice. Proper management of working time is an investment in the development of the company and the well-being of employees.

Good knowledge of working hours and working time regulations allows the employer to, among other things:

• Dispute prevention: knowledge of the regulations will help avoid misunderstandings with employees;
• Optimization: thanks to proper working time planning, one can reduce salary costs;
• Increased efficiency: well-planned working time will translate into greater employee productivity.

Note! Labour regulations are constantly changing. Stay up to date.
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