New rules for calculating seniority. The President signed the amendment to the Labor Code

President Karol Nawrocki signed the amendment to the Labor Code, his office announced on Thursday. The change assumes that the length of service will include, among others: periods worked under civil law contracts or as part of a sole proprietorship.

Until now, only periods worked under an employment contract were included in the length of service. After the amendment signed by the president enters into force, the following will also be included: periods of non-agricultural business activity, periods of cooperation with a person running a business, time of suspending business activity in order to provide personal care for a child, periods of performing mandate contracts, contracts for the provision of services or agency contracts and working time as a collaborating person, periods of membership in an agricultural production cooperative and agricultural circle cooperative, as well as documented periods of paid work abroad (other than employment).

The amendment also added periods of service in the Marshal's Guard and the Customs and Tax Service.

These new periods will be confirmed by certificates issued by ZUS, and those not subject to reporting and other than paid work abroad will require the presentation of appropriate documents.

Periods before the entry into force of the Act will also be included in the length of service, but they will have to be properly documented – this will be 24 months from the entry into force of the regulations signed by the President.

Work experience is important when obtaining certain benefits and employee rights, or, for example, when applying for positions requiring confirmed professional experience.

In information about the signed act, the president's office noted that the new regulations will largely eliminate inequalities in the treatment of employees due to the type of professional activity they previously undertook.

The amendment to the Labor Code and certain other acts adopted on September 26 was signed on October 15 and will enter into force in two stages – for the public sector at the beginning of 2026, and for the private sector – on the first day of the month after six months from the announcement. (PAP)

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