What to look for when hiring employees in Poland

If you've opened a business in Poland and want to hire employees, it's important to understand the local regulations right away. The country employs over 1 million foreign workers (GUS data for 2024), and Poland itself remains attractive to businesses due to its affordable labor force and relatively low taxes. However, hiring in Poland isn't just a matter of posting a job opening. Strict regulations apply, and mistakes can result in fines of up to 30,000 zlotys.

To avoid problems and save time, it's important to understand the paperwork, labor laws, and local cultural differences in advance. Below are practical tips for recruiting staff in Poland to help you get it right.

Planning to hire employees in Poland but unsure of the intricacies of labor law? Let us handle it for you.

Key legal aspects of hiring employees in Poland

Employment contract (Umowa o pracę) and alternative forms of employment

There are several forms of employment in Poland. The most stable is the umowa o pracę (working arrangement). This is a full-fledged employment contract that provides the employee with all social benefits: paid vacation, sick leave, and pension contributions. It is mandatory if the employee is employed on a permanent basis.

A mandate agreement is a contract of agency. It's suitable for temporary tasks, but doesn't provide full protection. It's subject to taxes and social security contributions, but at a lower rate.

Umowa o dzieło — a performance-based contract. It's used for projects, such as website development. There are no insurance contributions, but there are no social guarantees either.

For example, with umowa o pracę, the employer pays contributions to ZUS (pension fund, health insurance, etc.) – approximately 20-21% from the salary. More details: zus.pl.

Mandatory documents and procedures

To hire an employee in Poland, you must collect from the candidate:

  • passport;
  • PESEL (identification number);
  • if necessary, a work permit.

It's especially important to verify the legality of a person's stay if they are from outside the EU. If the employee is working illegally, the employer faces a fine of up to 30,000 zlotys.

Registration with ZUS is mandatory within 7 days of starting work. A practical example: one of our clients missed this deadline, and as a result, ZUS demanded additional payment of insurance contributions for 6 months plus a penalty.

In 2023, Poland issued over 500,000 work permits to foreigners.

Recruitment and Personnel Search: Peculiarities of the Polish Labor Market

Popular recruitment channels in Poland

Here are the most common places to look for staff:

  • Pracuj.pl, OLX, Indeed are large classifieds websites.
  • A recruitment agency is especially effective for mass recruitment.
  • LinkedIn, Facebook groups - work in the fields of IT, marketing, sales.

Up to 251,000,000 vacancies in manufacturing are filled through agencies. If you need to quickly find workers for a warehouse or logistics position, recruiting tips in Poland include using an agency—this saves time and reduces risks.

Cultural aspects of hiring and candidate expectations

Local employees value stability. They value a formal contract, guarantees, and a clear schedule. In large cities, hybrid work arrangements are often inquired about.

Salary expectations vary by region. According to GUS, the average salary in 2024 is approximately 7,800 zlotys gross. In Warsaw and Krakow, it can be 15–201 zlotys higher than in smaller cities.

Strong professional skills aren't everything. Also consider the candidate's motivation, desire to grow, and knowledge of Polish—especially important if the job requires communicating with clients or a team.

Hiring Foreign Employees: Special Rules

The procedure for obtaining a work permit

If you want to hire a citizen of Ukraine, Moldova, or Georgia, the process is simpler. However, in general, the employer must obtain a work permit.

Stages:

  • Preparing the application.
  • Submission to the uzhond (local administration).
  • Waiting for a decision (on average 1–2 months).

Important: An error in your application will result in a refusal, and the candidate will end up working for a competitor. We've encountered situations more than once where the employer tried to process everything themselves, only to have to start over.

Alternative schemes (residence permit, Blue Card)

If the employee plans to stay for a long time, it can be arranged residence cardThis is more convenient than renewing your visa every year.

A Blue Card is suitable for highly qualified specialists. However, there are conditions: their salary must be at least 150% above the national average. In 2023, Poland issued over 80,000 residence cards.

What else to consider when hiring employees in Poland

Social guarantees and responsibilities of the employer

The employer is obliged to:

  • arrange vacations and sick leaves;
  • comply with working hours standards (usually 40 hours per week);
  • store personnel documentation.

A medical examination before starting work is mandatory. Failure to do so or any document violations will result in a fine of up to 30,000 zlotys.

Probationary period and dismissal

A trial period can be arranged for up to three months. It is specified in the employment contract.

Dismissal requires compliance with the notice period: from 2 weeks to 3 months, depending on the length of service.

Particular attention is paid to protected categories: pregnant women and retirees. Their contracts cannot be simply terminated. In one case, an employer dismissed a woman without regard for her status; the court awarded compensation and reinstatement.

Planning to hire employees in Poland but unsure of the intricacies of labor law? Let us handle it for you.

Conclusion

Recruiting staff in Poland requires a combination of knowledge of the law and an understanding of local realities. Documentation and respect for the work culture are both essential. Remember: the cost of a mistake is not only fines but also the loss of good employees.

If you're unsure how to hire an employee in Poland, please contact us for a consultation. We'll help with the paperwork, document verification, and communication with the authorities.

If you need help hiring and onboarding employees, contact us. It's better to get it right the first time than to deal with visa, tax, or legal issues later.

Feedback from our clients

Damien Vice Profile Picture

Damien Vice

02/11/2025

Ставлю 1 звезду. Планировал начать сотрудничество через икнубатор. Отправил 3 письма, через мейл и форму на сайте, написал в инсте, сделал 2 звонка (без ответа). Потратил неделю на ожидание. Меня просто проигнорировали. Как можно доверять этому сервису, если фонд не в состоянии ответить на письмо и прислать документы для ознакомления. Жду объяснения

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Andrii Melnychuk

26/08/2025

I highly recommend Łatwy Start! Thanks to them, my two kids and I received 3-year residence cards without any stress. Special thanks to manager Kristina — she was extremely helpful and even managed to speed up the process for my children. Excellent service, very satisfied!

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Anton Mezhuiev

26/08/2025

Чудова робота, все відбулося швидко і дуже професійно, з чіткими інструкціями і нотатками про ті документи, що вимагалося надати з моєї сторони — і як саме їх правильно заповнювати. Запис на подачу і видача самої карти зайняла набагато меньше часу, ніж спочатку очікувалося (перше звернення у січні, подача документів і відбитків в березні — а в серпні вже отримав пластік).

Брав пакет з повним супроводом — ні разу не пожалкував, всім рекомендую — і дуже дякую всій компанії і зокрема менеджеру Кристині!

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Anastasiya Balotnikava

26/08/2025

Недавно получила вторую карту с Łatwy Start, как и в первый раз – все было отлично, положительная децизия по итогу.

Благодарю менеджера Кристину за работу и своевременное напоминание про все нужные шаги, довольна совместной работой ✨

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Inna

03/08/2025

3 раза членами семьи сотрудничали с компанией по получению карт побыта в разное время и работали с разными специалистами. До этого были попытки с другими компаниями , но именно высочайший уровень профессионализма Latwy Start сделал нас постоянными клиентами. Каждый раз самое благоприятное впечатление за высокий уровень профессиональной работы и моральную поддержку. Особая отдельная благодарность Ольге! Ольга очень помогла, всегда на связи по любым вопросам, отличные профессиональные советы на каждом этапе, начиная с первого общения еще до заключения договора и до успешного получения карты. Как ангел-хранитель «провела за ручку» через все сложные перепитиии, поддержала словом и делом. Огромная Благодарность Ольге и всей компании! Процветания вам и хоррших клиентов!

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Oleksandr Drobyshev

15/07/2025

Все супер

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Yevgeniy Postebailo

14/07/2025

Всё понравилось, везде сопроводили, всё обьяснили.
Была пара непонятных вещей, но не стесняйтесь спрашивать — всегда отвечают и консультируют.
Рекомендую обращаться.

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Aliaksei Seniukovich

11/07/2025

Хочу выразить огромную благодарность Кристине из Łatwy Start за профессиональную помощь в получении вида на жительство в Польше. Благодаря её опыту, внимательности и доброжелательному отношению весь процесс прошёл легко и без лишнего стресса. Кристина всегда была на связи, подробно отвечала на все вопросы и помогала на каждом этапе оформления документов. Искренне рекомендую её услуги всем, кто ищет надёжную поддержку в решении миграционных вопросов в Польше!

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Gennady Bakunovich

11/07/2025

I had a really positive experience with Łatwy Start. Manager Kristina was supportive and always ready to help with any questions. I got my temporary residence permit without any issues and with minimal effort on my part. I really appreciate their work and highly recommend them 🙌

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