Is there a 4-day week in Poland?
Partly. Poland has no 4-day week law, but the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy is running a state-funded pilot of reduced working hours. In October 2025 the ministry selected 90 employers from 1,994 applicants, covering more than 5,000 employees. In April 2026 it said almost 5,000 employees at 80 organisations were testing the solutions.
Employers chose their model: a four-day week, fewer hours a day or extra leave. Hours were to fall 10% in the first half of 2026 and 20% in the second, and the rules require pay not to be lowered. The state covers up to PLN 1 million per employer and PLN 20,000 per employee. At the third working-group meeting on 27 October 2026 the ministry said projects were on schedule and firms reported no negative changes in operations.
The ministry has published no figures. Its summary phase ends by 15 May 2027, when each participant must send it a final report. The pilot is not a law: the Labour Code norm remains 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week on average. Only the selected employers take part, so most Polish workers are not covered.
Latest developments
Ministry reports pilot projects on schedule at third meeting
The ministry said projects are on schedule and firms reported no negative changes in operations. Most employers cut weekly hours gradually, some moved to a four-day week and others gave extra days off.
Ministerstwo Rodziny, Pracy i Polityki Społecznej: Trzecie posiedzenie Zespołu ds. Skróconego Czasu Pracy (opens in new tab)Second working-group meeting on the reduced-hours pilot
The ministry said projects are proceeding according to schedule. Employers reported increased staff motivation and engagement, and organisational challenges in adapting work to shorter hours.
Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy: Second meeting of the Working Group on Reduced Working Hours (opens in new tab)Working group starts monitoring the pilot
The Working Group on Reduced Working Hours held its first meeting to monitor employers in the pilot. The ministry said almost 5,000 employees at 80 organisations were testing the solutions. Testing runs to 31 December 2026; the summary phase ends by 15 May 2027.
Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy: Reduced working hours, a team has begun work (opens in new tab)Ministry selects 90 employers for the pilot
The ministry selected 90 employers, covering more than 5,000 employees. Support is capped at PLN 1 million per employer and PLN 20,000 per employee.
Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy: We have selected participants for the pilot programme (opens in new tab)1,994 employers apply for the reduced-hours pilot
The ministry announced that 1,994 enterprises and institutions applied. Employers could test a four-day week, fewer hours each day or additional leave.
Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy: 1,994 applications for the pilot programme (opens in new tab)
4-day-week trials in Poland
What each pilot reported. Figures are the organiser's own, from the linked report.
Reduced working hours pilot (Skrócony czas pracy - to się dzieje!)
Run by Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy
- Jan 2026 – Dec 2026
- 80 companies
Employers test a four-day week, shorter days or extra leave with pay not lowered; hours cut 10% in H1 2026 and 20% in H2. 90 employers were selected in Oct 2025; in Apr 2026 the ministry cited 80 organisations and almost 5,000 staff. Interim only: projects on schedule, no negative changes reported (27 Oct 2026). Each participant's final report is due by 15 May 2027.
Ministry summaries, not a published evaluation: firms reported no negative changes in operations (27 Oct 2026), and employers reported increased staff motivation and engagement but also organisational challenges (23 Jul 2026).
Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy: Reduced working hours, a team has begun work (22 April 2026) (opens in new tab)Jobs in Poland
AI Engineer
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4 Day Work Week
Who offers a 4-day week in Poland
Senuto
Senuto is a Warsaw-based SEO and content marketing platform that empowers businesses with data-driven insights while prioritizing team well-being through a 4-day work week.
Andersen Lab
Global software development company with 3400+ professionals, offering diverse IT solutions across FinTech, Healthcare, and Logistics with flexible work arrangements.
DotLineCode
Digital agency creating impactful brand experiences and digital products with a 4-day work week and flexible remote working.
How Poland compares
Poland, the labelled dot, against the other countries we cover.
Average weekly hours
23rd shortest of 25 countries, 2.6 hours above the median of 37.3.
Netherlands 31.3 to South Africa 42.3
See all 25 countries
| Country | Hours |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 31.3 |
| Denmark | 33.3 |
| Germany | 34.5 |
| Norway | 34.6 |
| Australia | 35.4 |
| Austria | 35.6 |
| Finland | 35.6 |
| Switzerland | 35.7 |
| Belgium | 36.0 |
| Ireland | 36.0 |
| United Kingdom | 36.3 |
| France | 36.9 |
| Sweden | 37.3 |
| Iceland | 37.4 |
| Japan | 37.5 |
| Spain | 37.5 |
| New Zealand | 37.6 |
| United States | 38.2 |
| Lithuania | 39.0 |
| South Korea | 39.4 |
| Brazil | 39.5 |
| Chile | 39.8 |
| Poland | 39.9 |
| Portugal | 40.0 |
| South Africa | 42.3 |
Usual weekly hours on the main job, all employed people, from the OECD (latest year, 2024 or 2025). It includes part-timers. No comparable figure for: Canada, Philippines, United Arab Emirates.
Statutory paid leave
Joint 12th longest of 26 countries, level with the median of 20.
United Kingdom 28 to United States None
See all 26 countries
| Country | Days |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 28 |
| Austria | 25 |
| Denmark | 25 |
| Finland | 25 |
| France | 25 |
| Sweden | 25 |
| Iceland | 24 |
| Brazil | 22 |
| Portugal | 22 |
| Spain | 22 |
| Norway | 21 |
| Australia | 20 |
| Belgium | 20 |
| Germany | 20 |
| Ireland | 20 |
| Netherlands | 20 |
| New Zealand | 20 |
| Poland | 20 |
| Switzerland | 20 |
| Chile | 15 |
| South Africa | 15 |
| South Korea | 15 |
| Canada | 10 |
| Japan | 10 |
| Philippines | 5 |
| United States | None |
The legal minimum a year, in working days on a five-day week, before public holidays. Definitions differ: some countries set weeks or calendar days (converted here), the UK lets public holidays count and the United States has no national minimum. Each country page says what its number covers. No comparable figure for: Lithuania, United Arab Emirates.
Working in Poland
Working hours
Article 129 of the Labour Code sets working time at no more than 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week on average, over a settlement period of up to 4 months. The period can be extended to up to 12 months where objective, technical or work-organisation reasons justify it. Each public holiday falling on any day except Sunday cuts the period's norm by 8 hours (Article 130), so a month with 20 weekdays and no holiday has a norm of 160 hours. Weekly time including overtime may not average more than 48 hours (Article 131). Overtime for special employer needs is limited to 150 hours per employee per calendar year, unless a collective agreement, work rules or (where neither applies) the employment contract sets another number (Article 151).
Paid leave and holidays
Employees with under 10 years of employment get 20 days of paid leave a year; with 10 years or more, 26 days (Article 154). One day of leave equals 8 hours of work. Years of schooling count toward that total, for example 8 years for higher education (Article 155).
Remote work
In 2025, 12.2% of employees aged 15 to 64 in Poland worked from home usually (4.0%) or sometimes (8.2%), according to Eurostat.