[Poland] Working time – what settlement periods in 2024?

2024 will bring changes to working time settlement periods. How many hours will a full-time employee work next year? We provide the answer. 

2024 – what total working hours? 

In 2024, the total annual working hours for an employee working five days and for whom the day off is a Saturday will be 2008 working hours, with a total of 251 days to work. 

This means that next year employees will have 8 more hours to work than in 2023, when the total working time was 2 000 hours, resulting in 250 working days. 

The table below presents working time in 2024 by monthly and 3-month settlement period. 

Working time – how to determine in a given settlement period? 

Working time and the way it is determined are regulated by the Labour Code. According to the Labour Code (Article 129 § 1), the number of hours to be worked by an employee hired on a so-called full-time basis is determined so that the working time: 

• not exceed 8 hours a day, 
• amounted to an average of 40 hours in a 5-day working week. 

The settlement period for such an employee should not exceed 4 months. 

However, according to the Labour Code, working time settlement periods can vary in length: 

• 4 weeks for work in continuous operation, i.e., work that cannot be stopped due to production technology, 
• 1 month for equivalent working hours, reduced working hours introduced at the employee’s request, work performed only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, at the employee’s request, 
• 3 months if equivalent working time is introduced, justified by special circumstances, 
• 4 months for, inter alia, the substitute working time system, the equivalent working time system, and for work dependent on the season or weather conditions. 

To calculate the working hours for a given pay period, an employer: 

• multiplies by 40 the number of weeks to be worked in a given settlement period; 
• adds the days remaining in the settlement period from Monday to Friday multiplied by 8 to the result obtained; 
• deducts 8 hours for each public holiday falling on a day other than Sunday. 

For employees employed on a so-called part-time basis, the employee’s working hours should be reduced in proportion to the number of hours for a full-time employee. For example, if an employee is part-time and we have 160 working hours for a full-time employee in a given month, the working hours of such an employee will be 80 hours, i.e., half of what a full-time employee will work. 

Time recording – find out how we can help 

Time settlement is the task of recording and analysing various working time data. It is important to process them appropriately into information which helps employers to manage employees’ working time more effectively. 

As part of our services, we offer access to the Working Time Settlement (RCP) system, which is part of our Asistar platform. Asistar RCP system meets the requirements of Polish legislation and is a tool that automates the working time settlement process. It is designed for managers, HR and payroll departments as well as for employees. 

RCP System – learn more: