When you’re recruiting and hiring in a new country, you’ll need to understand cultural nuances as well as employment laws. Poland’s employment regulations can seem complicated for employers that have never hired an employee in the country. However, Poland employment compliance and other EU countries’ laws share some similarities.
Recruiting in Poland
Understanding the cultural side of the recruitment process is essential, but understanding the practical aspects of hiring in Poland is just as important. Utilizing the right recruitment channels can make all the difference when it comes to finding qualified local talent. Many companies source talent through the following channels:
- Social media: Social networks, specifically LinkedIn, are widely used by recruiters in Poland.
- Job boards: Unlike LinkedIn, job boards will allow you to directly reach a pool of candidates who are actively searching for new jobs. A balanced hiring approach in Poland will often utilize both job boards and social media.
- Newspapers: Newspapers have a relatively wide reader base in Poland, so it won’t hurt to advertise positions in the classifieds as well.
Laws against discrimination in Poland
Under Poland’s law, employers cannot discriminate on the basis of any of the following characteristics:
- Age
- Sex
- Race
- Religion
- Disability
- Trade union membership
- Nationality
- Political beliefs
- Ethnic origin
- Sexual orientation
The responsibility to comply with employment laws begins during the recruitment process. To avoid legal compliance issues, employers should not ask questions about any protected characteristics in interviews, meetings, or even casual conversations with potential employees.
How to hire employees in Poland
Poland requires an employer and employee to draft and sign a written contract prior to the employee’s start date. Contracts must be written in Polish. Bilingual contracts are permitted, but the Polish version will be used for any interpretations. Employers also need specific statements and forms in addition to the contract to register with the proper authorities.
Employment contracts must include these items:
- Name of employer and employee
- Length of the contract
- Date it was signed
- Employment terms and conditions such as compensation, bonuses, type of work, place of work, and more
Employers must also provide employees with additional written information, including but not limited to, work hours, holidays, and applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) within 7 days of their start of employment.
Poland employment laws
Poland employment compliance includes multiple factors that begin with the employment contract. 2 types of employment contracts are available and differ based on length:
- Fixed-term contracts are available for work up to 33 months but can be renewed up to 3 times. If the same parties enter into a fixed-term contract for a 4th consecutive time or the total time of employment in the contract exceeds 33 months, the contract automatically becomes an indefinite contract.
- Indefinite contracts.
If applying a probationary period, it must be outlined in the employment contract. If the agreement does not include working hours, payment frequency, or annual leave entitlements, the employer will need to inform the employee of these details in writing within 7 days of the start of the contract.
Onboarding in Poland
There is no standard process to onboard employees in Poland, so employers should tailor the process to their company culture and goals. Before the employee’s first day, any required training should be put on their schedule for the first week. It’s also best practice to create workplace culture training modules or videos to get employees acclimated to the business environment.
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