In 2024, there will be 115 days off. In addition, the amendment to the Labour Code introduced several new types of leave, thanks to which employees can gain up to 7 extra days off. What’s the best way to plan your vacation, taking into account days off and public holidays in Poland in 2024? Find the answer below.
Table of Contents
- Working time of an employee
- Annual leave entitlement within the employment relationship
- Rules for granting leave
- Public holidays in Poland and days off work in 2024
- Public holidays in Poland in 2024. How to plan days off work?
- New statutory days off work in 2024
- Summary
Working time of an employee
An employee’s working time cannot exceed 8 hours per day and an average of 40 hours in a five-day working week over a settlement period not exceeding 4 months. This forms the basis for determining the number of hours an employee should work.
The Labor Code states that to determine working time in a settlement period one should:
- Multiply the number of weeks to be worked in that period (4 weeks for a monthly settlement period) by 40 (work hours).
- Add the remaining weekdays (from Monday to Friday) multiplied by 8 to the obtained number.
- Subtract 8 hours for each non-working holiday falling on a day other than Sunday.
In 2024, there are 251 working days (2008 work hours – 251 days x 8 hours) and 115 days off.
The employee’s working time depends on:
- period of justified absence during the settlement period,
- the number of public holidays falling within the settlement period on days other than Sunday.
Annual leave entitlement within the employment relationship
The employee is entitled to annual, uninterrupted, paid leave. This right is non-negotiable and cannot be waived. An employee who starts work for the first time in the calendar year is entitled to 1/12 leave at the end of each month of work. The right to further days off work is acquired in each subsequent calendar year.
For part-time employees, the leave is proportional to their working time. The basis for calculating leave is 1/12 at the end of each month of work. Any partial day of leave is rounded up to a full day.
The Labor Code makes the amount of leave dependent on the length of employment. This is the maximum amount of rest that an employee is entitled to. The legislator specifies the rules for adding an employee’s learning periods to the working time. If the employee works:
- less than 10 years – he is entitled to 20 days of leave,
- at least 10 years – he is entitled to 26 days of leave.
Rules for granting leave
Leave is granted upon employee’s request, on working days and in accordance with his working time schedule. One day of leave corresponds to 8 hours of work. The employer must grant the employee leave within the calendar year in which he earns a right to it. The leave can be divided into parts. Yet, in such case, at least one part should last for at least 14 consecutive calendar days.
Public holidays in Poland and days off work in 2024
The list of non-working days is specified in the Act of 18 January 1951 on non-working days. Statutory days off include Sundays and the following public holidays:
- 1 January – New Year’s Day (Monday)
- 6 January – Epiphany (Saturday, day off)
- 31 March – Easter (Sunday, day off)
- 1 April – Easter Monday (Monday, day off)
- 1 May – Labor Day (Wednesday)
- 3 May – Constitution Day of May 3 (Friday)
- 19 May – Whitsunday (Wednesday)
- 30 May – Corpus Christi (Thursday)
- 15 August – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Wednesday)
- 1 November – All Saints’ Day (Friday)
- 11 November – National Independence Day (Monday)
- 25 December – Christmas Day (Wednesday)
- 26 December – Second Christmas Day (Thursday).
In 2024, one holiday falls on a Saturday, Epiphany (the 6th of January). This means that:
- Full-time employees working 8 hours a day can get an extra day off in 2024, after agreeing on the date with the employer.
- Those in equivalent working time systems can take this day off by coming to work later or leaving earlier.
- Part-time employees will have their working time proportionally reduced.
- For Employees in other working time schedules with a weekly time frame exceeding 40 hours, the working time can be reduced proportionally.
Public holidays in Poland in 2024. How to plan days off work?
Well-planned leave helps an employee to rest effectively. In 2024, you can use the favourable arrangement of days to extend weekends without using up your vacation limit. The days that one can use to extend the weekend are:
- 6 January, Epiphany, which falls on a Saturday.
- 1 April, Easter Monday.
- May break, which can extend from 27 April to 5 May. With May 1 and 3 falling on Wednesday and Friday, you can use only 3 days of your leave to get a total of 9 days off work in 2024.
- 30 May, i.e. Corpus Christi falling on Thursday.
- 15 August, i.e. Polish Army Day/Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- 1 November, i.e. All Saints’ Day which falls on Friday.
- 11 November, i.e. National Independence Day, which falls on Monday.
- Christmas – the celebrations start on Wednesday and Thursday. You can take 3 days of your leave to enjoy 9 days off.
New statutory days off work in 2024
The 2023 amendment to the Labor Code introduced several new types of leave. They will affect the number of days off in 2024. Thanks to these changes, employees can enjoy up to 7 additional days off in 2024:
- 5 days of care leave. It is intended for caring for a family member living with the employee, e.g. children, parents, or a spouse. Please, note that the employee is not entitled to remuneration during this leave.
- 16 hours or 2 days off, also known as “force majeure” leave. It is for urgent matters arising from unforeseen circumstances. What is important, this type of leave does not replace leave on demand. Employees using it are entitled to 50% of their regular pay.
Summary
The year 2024 offers a favourable opportunity for planning your leave. The schedule of days off in 2024 allows you to make the most of your vacation days and enjoy an extended period of rest.
If you are interested in the above article and want to know more about the subject, we invite you to cooperate with us. Our experts are eager to support you. Contact us today and let us help you. If you need help in establishing a family foundation, send us a message.