Background information

The aim of the Labour Market and Employment Services Act of 20 March 2025 is to modernise the institutions of the Polish labour market, including improving the functioning of public services, in the conditions of the changes currently taking place in the labour market: technological changes, energy transition, demographic changes.

The effect of the Act is to increase the level of employment in Poland. The adoption of the Act is the implementation of a part of the milestone "Effective Institutions for the Labour Market" within the National Plan for Reconstruction and Resilience (KPO).

The adopted Act is based on the solutions contained in the Act of 20 April 2004 on Employment Promotion and Labour Market Institutions and introduces new solutions concerning the labour market.

Legal reference: Law of March 20, 2025 on the labor market and employment services - signed on April 10, 2025.

Content of measure

The Labour Market and Employment Services Act sets out procedures for foreigners to obtain work permits, which enable them to work legally in Poland. The Act prohibits discrimination against foreigners in the workplace, including equal treatment with regard to remuneration and working conditions (including the right to safe and hygienic working conditions). Employed foreigners have the right to use public services (health care, education).

The law provides for integration programmes for foreign workers to help them adapt to life and work in Poland (e.g. language courses).

The Act makes it mandatory for foreigners employed by a Polish employment agency to receive a contract drafted in a language they understand. The Act also guarantees equal rights as Polish citizens for accessing services offered by the labour offices, to foreigners holding legal residence and working rights in Poland.

The Act introduced the possibility of registration for unemployed person to the local (district) labour office closest to their place of living.

Under the law on labour market and employment services, employment agencies will have to be registered in a special registry. The agency must be in operation for at least two years to provide services related to the employment of foreigners.

Use of measure

The law comes into force on 1 May 2025, so the impact of the measure cannot be assessed at this point.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Other groups of workers Migrants or refugees in employment	Applies to all businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Public employment service	National funds National Recovery and Resilience Facility

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Sectoral or branch level

Involvement

The social partners were involved in the drafting process of the bill during the formal stage of collecting opinions and consultation for the bill. Related to this process, the national commission of the NSZZ Solidarność trade union criticised the 30-day statutory deadline for an opinion on such an area-specific bill as too short.

Views and reactions

The Polish HR Forum, an organisation representing HR companies, including employment agencies criticised, among other things, the lack of provisions of requirements for financial guarantees for employment agencies operating in the field of temporary work, which could lower standards in the market. NSZZ Solidarność, one of Poland's largest trade union confederations, criticised the bill's emphasis on promoting the employment of foreigners in Poland, pointing out that Poland is experiencing a brain drain and demographic decline, which could lead to difficulties in recruiting qualified workers in Poland in the future.

Sources

• 10 April 2024: Uwagi Polskiego Forum HR do projektu ustawy o rynku pracy i służbach zatrudnienia (legislacja.gov.pl)
• 30 April 2024: Rynek pracy i służby zatrudnienia – uwagi Lewiatana (lewiatan.org)
• 21 June 2024: Opinia NSZZ "Solidarność" do projektu ustawy (legislacja.gov.pl)
• 21 June 2024: Uwagi OPZZ do projektu ustawy (legislacja.gov.pl)
• 04 October 2024: Uwagi Związku Rzemiosła Polskiego do projektu ustawy (legislacja.gov.pl)
• 10 April 2025: Prezydent podpisał ustawę o rynku pracy i służbach zatrudnienia Czytaj więcej na Prawo.pl: https://www.prawo.pl/kadry/ustawa-o-rynku-pracy-i-sluzbach-zatrudnienia,532471.html (www.prawo.pl)
• 10 April 2025: Informacja w sprawie ustawy z dnia 20 marca 2025 r. o rynku pracy i służbach zatrudnienia (www.prezydent.pl)