As ZUS explains, changes to the Labor Code entered into force on January 1, 2026. The new regulations will expand the catalog of periods included in the length of service for the purposes of acquiring the right to benefits and employee rights. They will include, among others: mandate contracts, running a business or gainful employment abroad.
What is crucial, since the beginning of the year, the new system of calculating and documenting seniority covers the public sector, i.e. government and local government administration, hospitals, schools, the army and other public benefit institutions.
New rules for counting length of service from May 1, 2026.
What may be of most interest to millions of employees will come on May 1, 2026. Then the changes will also affect the private sector.
As ZUS explains, According to the new rules, seniority will cover not only employment contracts, but also other forms of professional activity.
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“The internship will include, among others, periods of running a non-agricultural business, cooperation with a person running this business and the time of its suspension in order to provide personal care for a child,” ZUS explains in a statement.
In addition “periods of performance of mandate contracts or other contracts for the provision of services or agency contracts will also be includedwork as a person cooperating with persons performing these contracts, membership in an agricultural production cooperative and a cooperative of agricultural circles.
Length of service calculated in a new way. How to obtain a certificate?
As ZUS explains, confirmation of new periods will only be possible on the basis of certificates issued by the Social Insurance Institution. Applications for their issuance will be made available only after the Act enters into force – on new forms available in the PUE/eZUS system.
Applications can be submitted electronically from January 1, 2026 via PUE ZUS or eZUS. The certificate should be given to the employer to add additional periods to the length of service.
A more favorable way of calculating seniority from May 1
You do not need to attach additional documents to the application, unless ZUS refuses to issue a certificate due to lack of insurance registration. You will then need to provide evidence of title to insurance. Applications can only be submitted online.
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As ZUS explains, many people currently apply for certificates covering the entire insurance history, including periods of employment under an employment contract. However, this is not necessary – the regulations in this respect do not change, and the employment certificate is still the confirmation of employment.
Employees eagerly use the new way of calculating seniority
In February, we reported that the Social Insurance Institution had already processed over 228,000 applications for a certificate confirming periods included in the length of service outside traditional employment under an employment contract.
As a result, over 508,000 were spent. such documents, and almost 50 thousand the applications were refused. This is a very important document because its possession translates into specific rights. The most important ones include, for example: longer holiday leave or higher internship allowances.
