Employment law in Poland | October 2026

New regulations on workplace bullying come into force

On 5 November 2026, the provisions of the amendment to the Labour Code and the Code of Civil Procedure of 19 June 2026 will come into force. 

The amendments introduce significant changes regarding workplace bullying, discrimination and equal treatment in employment, covering both the grounds for liability and the rules governing employees’ claims. One of the most important changes is the new definition of workplace bullying, which no longer requires proof of the prolonged nature of the harassment as a separate condition for establishing it. The provisions also set out in greater detail the obligations of employers regarding the prevention of workplace bullying and discrimination. Furthermore, the rules governing claims for compensation and damages are being amended, including the minimum amount of compensation for workplace bullying.

Occupational health certificates to be issued exclusively in electronic form 

From 18 October 2026, occupational health medical certificates will be issued exclusively in electronic form. This is because the six-month transitional period, during which doctors were able to issue certificates in either paper or electronic form, is coming to an end.

The certificate is recorded in the Medical Information System and signed using a qualified electronic signature, a trusted signature, a personal signature or a signature available in the Social Insurance Authority (ZUS) system. The employee receives the certificate via their Online Patient Account (IKP) and, upon request, also a printout bearing the doctor’s handwritten signature. Importantly, the absence of an active IKP does not prevent medical examinations from being carried out or a certificate from being issued. The employer receives the certificate from the occupational health unit within the timeframe and in the manner specified in the contract concluded with that unit. 

Paper versions of medical certificates may only be used in exceptional circumstances, where there is no access to the IT system.

Verification of diplomas by employers – draft new regulations

On 6 October 2026, the Council of Ministers adopted a draft amendment to the Act on Higher Education and Science. The draft aims to enable employers to verify the educational qualifications of job applicants and employees. It was prepared by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education as part of a deregulation package.

Under current legislation, an employer cannot check directly with a higher education institution whether a degree presented by a job applicant or employee is genuine. The draft aims to fill this gap with regard to paper-based degrees. Electronic diplomas will be verifiable via the repository in the POL-on system, and from 1 January 2027, universities will be obliged to issue them. 

Under the draft legislation, a higher education institution will provide information regarding the details on a degree certificate at the request of an employer who has a legitimate interest in doing so. The employer will be required to specify, amongst other things, the first name, surname and degree certificate number in the verification request. A condition for submitting the request will be that the applicant has reasonable doubts as to the authenticity of the document. A fee will be charged for each confirmation. The fee will amount to 1 per cent of the minimum wage in force on the date the request is submitted. 

The draft bill has been submitted to the Sejm, where it will undergo further legislative  scrutiny.  

New regulations concerning benefits from the Social Insurance Authority (ZUS) came into force

On 24 October 2026, the Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy of 27 September 2026 came into force, concerning the scope of information on circumstances affecting entitlement to social insurance benefits in the event of sickness and maternity, or the amount of such benefits, as well as the documents required for the award and payment of benefits. It introduces several simplifications relating to benefits from the Social Insurance Authority (ZUS).  

Firstly, when applying for a benefit, the insured person may, instead of providing a certificate from the employer, submit an application containing the required details themselves or a printout of the e-ZLA (electronic ZUS platform). 

Secondly, when maternity benefit is paid by ZUS, it is not necessary to attach a copy of the child’s birth certificate to the benefit application. It is sufficient to provide the child’s details, and ZUS will retrieve the certificate from the civil registry itself. 

Thirdly, from 10 October 2027, doctors will be able to issue electronic certificates via the ZUS system, which are currently issued exclusively on paper. These include, amongst others, certificates stating the expected date of birth or confirming the illness of a spouse caring for the child. The employer will receive these via their payer profile. 

Changes to the regulation on accident insurance contributions 

From 31 December 2026, the method for determining the accident insurance contribution rate will change. The new PKD (Polish Classification of Activities) 2025 classification will be used instead of the current PKD 2007 classification.

The amount of the accident insurance contribution depends, amongst other things, on the business group to which the employer belongs. Membership of a group is determined by the code for the predominant activity entered in the REGON register. Until 30 December 2026, the PKD 2007 codes will apply, and from 31 December 2026, the PKD 2025 codes will apply. 

The accident insurance contribution rate for 2027 will be determined on the basis of the PKD 2025 code as at 31 December 2026. 

Therefore, by the end of 2026, it is worth checking in the CEIDG or KRS whether the employer has been assigned the correct PKD 2025 code, and changing it if necessary. The change must be reported exclusively to the relevant register, which will then forward it to ZUS. There is no need to re-register the company or its employees for insurance. 

If a business owner does not update the code, the register will do so automatically from 1 January 2027. However, such a code may not correspond to the actual business activity, which could affect the amount of the accident insurance contribution.