In business practice, the terms "reward" and "bonus" are sometimes used interchangeably, leading to confusion among both employers and employees. However, distinguishing them correctly has significant legal implications, especially in the context of employees' ability to pursue claims. The Legal Nature of a Reward: A reward is a completely discretionary benefit. This means that its granting depends on […]

For violating the non-competition clause, an employee is liable under the provisions on financial liability set forth in the Labor Code. It is inadmissible to stipulate a contractual penalty for an employee's violation of the non-competition clause during the employment relationship. The employee's liability for violating the non-competition clause during the employment relationship is regulated in Article 101[1] § 2 […]

The President of the Republic of Poland has signed a law amending the regulations governing the National Labor Inspectorate, meaning it will soon enter into force and expand the powers of labor inspectors. Under the new regulations, inspectors will be able to determine the existence of an employment relationship by decision. At the same time, the President has decided to refer the law to the Constitutional Tribunal for a subsequent review. The entry into force […]

An employer is obligated to respect the dignity and other personal rights of an employee. This responsibility extends not only to the employer's own conduct that constitutes an unlawful violation of the employee's personal rights, but also to the conduct of subordinate employees. This was confirmed by the Supreme Court in its judgment of 25 March 2025, Case No. III PSKP 37/24. The case concerned a researcher, […]

In employment disputes, allegations sometimes arise that a notice of termination of an employment contract was submitted by a person not authorized to represent the employer. This raises the question of whether such a defect invalidates the notice, or merely constitutes a defect within the meaning of labor law. A significant position in this regard is provided by the Supreme Court's judgment of August 6, 2025, […]

On March 11, 2026, the Sejm passed an act amending the Act on the National Labor Inspectorate and certain other acts. The amendment provides for significant changes to the scope of the National Labor Inspectorate's powers. New powers for labor inspectors. As previously reported, one of the most important changes in the act is the expansion of labor inspectors' powers. A labor inspector will be able to issue […]