The test phase of the shortened working time pilot has started

At the end of the year, the preparatory stage of the pilot of shortened working time with retained remuneration was completed. The test stage will last until the end of 2026. Companies will test, for example, a four-day working week, shorter hours or longer holidays.

According to information from the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, 90 companies and institutions from the private and public sectors, which employ a total of over 5,000, will take part in the pilot. employees.

– They will take part in the pilot both public entities and private companies. We have a pharmacy, we have a company selling tailoring instruments, we have production companies, we have larger and smaller companies. There are also public entities, community centers, libraries, and water supply networks. All this to check how the shortening of working time translates into the functioning of business, the functioning of enterprises, the quality of work, efficiency and, of course, the well-being of employees – said Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, head of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, during the December conference.

According to the ministry the average co-financing for one entity will amount to PLN 0.5 million.

All employers who met the following conditions could apply to participate in the shortened working time pilot:

• running a business for at least 12 months,
• employing most employees under an employment contract,
• including at least half of the team in the pilot program
• maintaining employment at a level of at least 90 percent initial state.
• The salaries of pilot participants must remain unchanged.

PLN 50 million was allocated to finance the pilot for the years 2025-2027of which PLN 10 million in 2025 alone. Financing comes from the Labor Fund. The maximum value of support for one project could not exceed PLN 1 million, and the cost per employee could not exceed PLN 20,000. zloty.

The last, summary stage of the pilot will start in 2027 and last until May 15 this year. By this date, the project implementer is obliged to submit the final report and quarterly surveys to the employer and employees to the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. Conclusions summarizing the pilot will then be developed.

kblu/ joz/