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

Tanya Zhovna Profile Picture

Tanya Zhovna

09/02/2026

Хочу искренне поблагодарить Latwy Start и отдельно Ольгу за отличную работу и поддержку на каждом этапе.

Ольга настоящий профессионал и при этом очень чуткий, внимательный человек. С самого начала она сопровождала меня шаг за шагом: помогала со сбором документов и подробно консультировала, а затем взяла на себя все организационные моменты и полностью сняла стресс, который обычно сопровождает такие процедуры.

С огромным удовольствием рекомендую её всем, кто ценит профессионализм, надёжность и человеческое отношение. И, без сомнений, обращусь к ней снова

Max Profile Picture

Max

27/01/2026

Получил карту Сталэго Побыта при помощи Latwy Start по корням. Сам в это полностью не вникал. Сказали какие документы нужны и куда нужно прийти. Все сделал теперь карта на руках.

Denis Litvinov Profile Picture

Denis Litvinov

15/01/2026

Łatwy Start – отличный выбор для IT специалиста, всё работает как часы. Плюсом есть полная прозрачность о том, как и что происходит со стороны выставления фактур и оплат.

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ALEXANDR

28/12/2025

Оформлял карту сталего побыта, меня сопровождала Кристина. Все было хорошо: отношение было доброжелательное, вся информация предоставлялась вовремя, а пояснения были понятными и подробными. Процесс прошёл спокойно и без лишних переживаний.

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Дарина Дробышевская

03/12/2025

Хочу оставить отзыв о работе Latwy Start, а именно о сотрудничестве с Ольгой. Она — профессионал с большой буквы и очень приятный человек.

Ольга помогала мне на каждом этапе: от сбора документов, где она постоянно консультировала меня и предоставляла примеры заполнения, чтобы всё было идеально, до самого посещения ужонда, где она сопровождала меня и полностью сняла стресс, связанный с процедурой.

После подачи Ольга регулярно информировала меня о статусе моего дела и делала всё возможное, чтобы его рассмотрели быстрее.

Я безмерно довольна её работой и обязательно обращусь к ней снова. Сегодня я забрала свою первую карту на 3 года, и точно знаю — без Ольги я бы не справилась!☺️

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Vladimir Drobyshevsky

28/11/2025

Хотел бы оставить положительный отзыв о услугах данного агенства. Мои куратором была Ольга. Получил карту побыта, все понравилось: о всех нюансах получал информацию, на все вопросы Ольга отвечала, даже на самые глупые) Ничего не забыли, результат в виде карты получен, рекомендую!

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Svitlana

21/11/2025

I’m really thankful to Olga for all her help. From answering the questions to receiving the residence permit. The process was smooth and there was no stress. That took only 5 months from application to obtainment.

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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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