Employment law in Poland | June 2026

New legislation on mobbing adopted by the lower chamber of the Polish parliament

On 19 June 2026, the lower chamber of the Polish parliament adopted an amendment to the Labour Code and the Code of Civil Procedure, introducing significant changes to the legislation on mobbing. The bill simplifies the definition of mobbing and introduces additional mechanisms designed to facilitate the elimination of this phenomenon in the workplace. 

The new provisions amend the range of remedies available to an employee who has experienced mobbing. An employee will be able to claim remedy from their employer in an amount not less than six times the minimum wage, and, if mobbing has caused damage, also compensation. The amendment also provides for the employer’s right of recourse against the perpetrator of mobbing. An employer who has paid an employee remedy or compensation in respect of mobbing will be entitled to claim from the person responsible for mobbing behaviour a compensation for the loss suffered, in an amount corresponding to the degree of fault of that person and the employer in causing the loss. 

Employers with at least 10 employees will be required to draw up internal regulations setting out the rules, procedures and frequency of measures to combat discrimination, mobbing and violations of employees’ dignity, unless these are already specified in a collective agreement or in the workplace regulations. Employers will have six months from the date the new provisions come into force to amend their work regulations in this regard. 

The draft bill provides for the provisions to come into force three months after the date of their publication. The bill will now be sent to the upper chamber of the Polish parliament.

Work on changes to sick pay for pregnant employees

On 9 June 2026, the Polish parliament began work on a parliamentary bill to amend the Labour Code and the Benefits Act, concerning the rules for the payment of sickness and maternity benefits. 

The bill provides that a pregnant employee would receive sickness benefit amounting to 100 % of the benefit calculation basis from the very first day of incapacity for work or inability to perform her duties. This benefit would replace the sick pay funded by the employer. The aim of the amendment is to reduce the negative treatment of pregnant women in the labour market linked to potential motherhood. 

The draft provides for the provisions to come into force 30 days after their publication.

Draft Act implementing the ‘Women on Boards’ Directive

On 9 June 2026, the Council of Ministers adopted a draft Act implementing EU legislation on improving gender balance on the boards of listed companies. 

Under the draft, large listed companies (with ≥ 250 employees and an annual turnover of > EUR 50 million or a total annual balance sheet total of > EUR 43 million) will be required to ensure that members of the under-represented sex hold at least 33 % of the seats on management and supervisory boards. Companies will have to apply transparent and non-discriminatory rules for selecting candidates, as well as adopt a gender balance policy setting out measures to support a more balanced representation of women and men. 

The draft also sets out reporting obligations. Companies subject to the regulation will publish annual information on the proportion of women and men on their governing bodies and the measures taken to achieve the required levels of representation. Candidates who consider that the new rules have been breached during the selection process will be able to seek redress through the courts. Financial penalties of up to PLN 500,000 are provided for failure to comply with these obligations. 

The draft bill is set to come into force 14 days after its publication. The bill will now be submitted to the parliament.

The Artificial Intelligence Systems Bill considered by the parliament

On 25 June 2026, the upper chamber of the Polish parliament considered the bill on artificial intelligence systems and adopted over a dozen amendments to it. The proposed bill is a further step towards the practical implementation of the EU AI Act in Poland – by 2 August 2026, Member States must ensure that the bodies responsible for its implementation are in place.

The proposed provisions set out who will be responsible for supervising the AI market and how the obligations arising from the EU regulation will be fulfilled. The Committee on the Development and Safety of Artificial Intelligence is set to play a central role, acting as the market supervisory body and the point of contact in relations with EU institutions. 

Of particular importance to employers are the provisions concerning high-risk AI systems. The AI Act covers, amongst other things, solutions and tools used in the areas of recruitment and staff management. This category may include, for example, systems supporting recruitment, candidate assessment, decisions on promotions, monitoring of work performance or the allocation of tasks based on employee data.

The European Commission’s position on the Pay Transparency Directive

7 June 2026 was the deadline for implementing the Pay Transparency Directive. However, most Member States, including Poland, failed to adopt national legislation by the required deadline. At the same time, calls emerged in the public debate to extend the implementation deadline or amend the Directive in order to limit the scope of obligations imposed on European employers. 

At the end of May 2026, however, the European Commission made it clear that the directive would not be renegotiated or postponed. This means that Member States are still bound by the June implementation deadline.

Minimum wage for 2027 adopted by the Council of Ministers

On 9 June 2026, the Council of Ministers adopted the proposal for the minimum wage for 2027. It provides for an increase in the minimum wage to PLN 4,950 gross, which is PLN 144 higher than the rate in force in 2026 (PLN 4,806). The minimum hourly rate is set to rise from PLN 31.40 to PLN 32.30.

The proposal will now be referred to the Social Dialogue Council. The increase is expected to affect nearly 1.6 million workers.