Most of the projects prepared at the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy make employees happy because they mean pay raises or better employment conditions. For this reason, however, the changes raise controversy and concerns among employers. The most common public discussion is about amending the Act on the National Labor Inspectorate, which is intended to reduce the number of garbage collections. In its shadow, other, equally revolutionary projects are being prepared and passed.
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It's already happening. An internship on your own is included in your full-time position
This bill only awaits the signature of President Karol Nawrocki. There should probably be no veto, because the new regulations are beneficial for nearly 2 million people. The point is that from January 1, 2026, internship will include not only years worked full-time, but also periods of running a business, freelance work or even employment abroad. This bill will open the way to many new benefitse.g. six days longer leave, higher seniority allowance, longer notice period. However, this is a serious problem for companies. They will have to update their HR and payroll systems and correct the data. The regulations will apply retroactively, covering earlier periods of professional activity.
See also: Employees rejoice, companies may cry. The Sejm passed a revolution in labor law
Changes in collective agreements
Advanced work on the new act on collective labor agreements and collective agreements is already underway in the Sejm. The bill is ready for second reading. It would be revolutionary if it had been adopted a dozen or so years ago, or if it had included more incentives to conclude agreements or detailed solutions allowing for the so-called industry arrangements. Because its goal is to increase from the current 15%. up to 80 percent the number of employees covered by collective labor agreements.
In the current version, the regulations will primarily simplify the registration of collective agreements. Everything will be done electronically, and a special nationwide register will be created. The project doesn't really arouse any emotions, except for one thing. Employers are demanding the restoration of the definition of a person performing paid work. The idea is that it should be identical to that in the Trade Union Act and, apart from people under an employment contract, it should cover others, but only on condition that they perform the work themselves.
See also: Collective agreements in a new way. The government project raises objections among employers
The Ministry of Labor is making concessions on the minimum wage
Revolutionary changes are coming to the minimum wage. By November 2024, Poland should implement the EU directive on adequate minimum wages in the European Union. At the end of August 2024, the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy submitted a draft act on the minimum wage for consultation for consultation, but then the work was stalled for a long time. Recently, the project was discussed by the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers. Most importantly, the ministry proposed to postpone the deadlines for the phased exclusion of individual components from the minimum wage by one year.
The functional allowance is not to be included in the minimum minimum from January 2027, other allowances from 2028, and bonuses only from 2029. This means that employees should have an increased basic salary, which employers do not like. According to Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, Minister of Family and Labor, postponing the deadlines will allow employers to secure the necessary financial resources. It is worth remembering that the Left presented an almost identical project as a parliamentary bill. The government bill has a greater chance of being passed.
Stop unpaid internships
In mid-September, the assumptions of the draft law on internships were added to the Government's List of Legislative Work. Although a month has passed, there is still no ready project in the Government Legislation Center. However, it is known that The Ministry of Labor wants the intern to receive 35%. average salary. Currently it would be PLN 3,062.
Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk assures that the government is to adopt the project this year. If passed, interns will gain stable employment with a guaranteed salary. And according to the ministry's latest post on the X website, this reform will be implemented.
Read also: Another revolutionary reform has been given the green light. The Ministry of Labor says stop to unpaid internships
Couriers on full-time jobs? You'll have to wait
One of the most important changes in Polish labor law will be the implementation of the EU Platform Directive. Its aim is to regulate employment, among others: couriers working for popular food delivery applications, but not only. As a result of the new regulations, all labor organizing platforms will have to limit employment under civil law contracts. This will be a revolution for the platforms, because it is easier to cooperate with people running a business.
We have until December 2026 to adopt the regulations. However, there is still no entry in the government's list of legislative works. As we wrote in Business Insider Polska, the Ministry of Labor hopes that employers will reach an agreement with trade unionists in the Social Dialogue Council.
Read more: Couriers on full-time jobs? Here are the government's plans
The fight against the wage gap is also delayed
The bill on reporting and monitoring the wage gap has not yet seen the light of day, although it was supposed to be ready in the fall. This concerns the provisions regarding equal pay between women and men. However, it turns out that there is still no final version of the project. All because of the reconstruction of the government. The European Union forces the Minister for Equality to be responsible for implementing the regulations, and Katarzyna Kotula lost her portfolio after the reconstruction of the government.
As a result, women will wait longer for the wage gap to closeand companies will have less time to prepare for the reform. Companies employing over 150 employees must prepare the first reports on the wage gap already for 2026. If the differences are too large, employees will be able to fight for a raise.
See also: Kotula ceased to be a minister, there is no reform. It's about the wage gap
A full-time job instead of an assignment? There is a dispute in the government
Here we describe the most famous project, i.e. the amendment to the Act on the National Labor Inspectorate. This concerns the conversion of orders into employment contracts by an inspector of the National Labor Inspectorate. It is not certain how many self-employed people will benefit from the change. PIP only informed that it can inspect 200 entrepreneurs a year, which is not much. Adoption of the project in its current version may cause many negative effects and overshadow the positive ones.
Employer representatives even warn that the reform may result in denunciations to the National Labor Inspectorate in order to eliminate a competitive company from the market. Companies are also afraid of financial costs, as Maciej Berek recently noticedminister for supervision over the implementation of government policy. “The reform of the National Labor Inspectorate must protect employees, but cannot endanger entrepreneurs. If we accepted the retroactive effects of the decisions – tax, ZUS – it would give the official power that he should not have,” the minister said on the X website.
The point is that an immediately enforceable administrative decision by the inspector to convert a mandate contract or a B2B contract into a full-time position may have financial consequences three or even five years back. However, the government must reach an agreement on this matter, because the reform is one of the milestones of the KPO.
See also: Turning an assignment into a full-time job. Companies will pay exorbitant amounts of money [WYLICZENIA]
