A work contract included in the seniority. So many people will benefit from the new regulations

From the changes resulting from the including, among others Up to 2 million people can benefit from civil law contracts-Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk may benefit from the work experience. She expressed the hope that MPs of all groups would support the draft amendment to the Labor Code.

On Tuesday, the Council of Ministers adopted a draft amendment to the Labor Code. He assumes that the periods worked on civil law contracts or sole proprietorship will be included in the seniority. The changes are to come into force from 2026.

“Today it is so that years are treated differently based on an employment contract, and work, which a person sometimes carried out for years based on his own business, or working on the basis of a contract – an order, not always from his own choice,” noted the head of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in an interview with journalists in the Sejm.

She emphasized that someone who worked for years on the basis of other contracts and for the first time signs an employment contract should not be treated as a novice.

“Years worked on their own business or a civil law contract should include a seniority, because seniority matters. For example, for the length of vacation, whether it is 20 or 26 days of holiday leave. It is also important for the possibility of obtaining an internship, a jubilee prize or applying for some positions”-pointed out Dziemianowicz-Bąk.

She added that the project will now go to the Sejm.

“I hope that MPs, MPs from all groups will quickly intercede this project so that he hit the president's desk. I can't imagine that the president would veto this law, because it is a law that can realistically change the lives of up to two million Polish women and Poles,” she said.

According to the MRPiPS project, the employment period will include Periods of conducting non -agricultural business activity, periods of cooperation with a person conducting business activity, time of suspension of business activity in order to exercise personal care of the child, periods of performing commission contracts, the provision of services or agency services and time as a cooperating person, periods of membership in the agricultural production cooperative and cooperatives of agricultural circles, as well as documented periods of earning work abroad (other than employment).

The ministry pointed out that these periods will be confirmed by certificates issued by ZUS. Periods of employment not subject to application to ZUS and periods other than employing paid work abroad will be confirmed on the principles of general evidence rules. Completing them as a seniority will require the presentation of relevant documents.

For example, an employee with seven years of work experience, who will submit documents confirming four years of work on a contract, after January 1, 2026, he will have the right to 26 days of vacation instead of the previous 20.

In the current legal status, the dimension of holiday leave is: 20 days if the employee is employed for less than 10 years; and 26 days if the employee is employed at least 10 years. (PAP)

KKR/ JOZ/