Labour Inspection in Poland (PIP): complaints, free advice, B2B rules
Short answer: You can complain to PIP on paper or with an electronic signature, and PIP examines employee complaints within one month; free phone advice is on 801 002 006 or 459 599 000.
If your employer does not pay you, ignores working-time or leave rules, or puts you in an unsafe workplace, Poland has a free public body you can turn to: the State Labour Inspection (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy, PIP). This guide sets out what PIP handles, how to file a complaint, how to get free advice by phone, and the new rule from 8 July 2026 on disguised employment. It reflects the PIP website pages on complaints and advice as read on 15 October 2026.
What you can complain about
According to PIP, an employee complaint can concern a violation of labour law that directly affects you. The Polish page lists, among others:
- Health and safety rules.
- Legality of employment.
- Problems in concluding a civil-law contract or an employment relationship.
- Pay and other benefits arising from employment.
- Working time and leave.
- Rights linked to parenthood.
- Employment of young workers and people with disabilities.
PIP does not handle matters outside its powers. The page names payment of social insurance benefits such as sickness, maternity or rehabilitation benefits, insurance forms such as Z-3, and income tax advances and tax returns (PIT/CIT). You also keep the right to go to a labour court instead of, or as well as, filing a complaint with PIP.
New since 8 July 2026: disguised employment
PIP says that from 8 July 2026 it has wider powers to challenge civil-law contracts concluded in conditions typical of an employment relationship. A person who works on a civil-law contract or in a B2B arrangement and believes they should really be an employee can ask PIP to act.
There is an important limit. An inspector can only handle the case if, on the day of the inspection, you still work or provide services for that entity. If the cooperation or employment has already ended, deciding the nature of the legal relationship and pursuing related claims remains a matter for the labour court. If you are on a contract of mandate (zlecenie) or a B2B contract, this limit matters for the timing of your complaint.
How to file a complaint
PIP lists these ways to file:
- In person at the district labour inspectorate or a local branch, orally for the record or on a form available there.
- In writing on paper, signed by hand and sent by post.
- By email, with an attached file containing the complaint, signed with a qualified electronic signature, a trusted signature (profil zaufany) or a personal signature.
- Through the e-Doręczenia service.
The complaint should include your full name, your address, the subject of the complaint with the name and address of the employer, and a signature in the correct form. For an electronic complaint, include an electronic contact address if it is not clear from the message. If you file on behalf of someone else, include that person's written consent.
PIP also warns of three points. A scan of a hand-signed letter does not meet the formal requirements. PIP has no electronic form for complaints. And PIP examines anonymous complaints only in exceptional cases.
Send the complaint to the district labour inspectorate or sub-district office competent for the employer's seat, not for your home address.
Will the employer know it was you?
PIP's English page says the complainant's data is protected and not disclosed during the inspection unless you consent in writing. The Polish page adds an exception: in some cases, such as legality of employment, the inspector may need your consent to reveal that a complaint was filed. If you refuse, the inspection on that point may not be possible. The inspector asks for consent in writing.
How long it takes
Employee complaints are examined without undue delay and no later than one month from receipt. The PIP page says that examining the complaint is separate from inspection activities. If an inspection is needed, you are told its date in writing. After an inspection, the inspector informs you in writing, on paper or electronically, how the complaint was handled.
Free advice by phone
PIP's Chief Inspectorate gives free labour law advice by phone, Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 15:00:
- 801 002 006 from landlines.
- 459 599 000 from mobile phones.
The call costs depend on the operator's rates and run from the moment you connect, including waiting time. The District Labour Inspectorate in Łódź also advises on labour law, on 801 002 419 from landlines and 459 595 419 from mobiles, same hours.
There are specialised lines too. Health and safety advice is given on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 to 15:00 on 22 111 35 27. Advice on the legality of employing Polish citizens and foreigners is given on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 to 15:00 on 22 266 79 78. Ukrainian-language advice on the legality of employment of Ukrainian citizens is given from 9:00 to 15:00, Monday to Wednesday on 89 333 17 41 and Thursday to Friday on 22 111 35 88. The pages do not state that advice is available in English, so ask in advance or use an interpreter.
Practical tips
- Keep your contract, payslips, working-time records and messages with the employer.
- Write your complaint in Polish if you can, or get help with a translation. The PIP pages do not say whether other languages are accepted, so ask your district inspectorate.
- Use your trusted profile for an electronic signature if you have one. Our guide to the trusted profile explains how to get it.
- If you are on a civil-law or B2B contract and want PIP to review it, file while you still work for the entity.
* Photos: PIP building at Barska 28, Warsaw, by Adrian Grycuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl; PIP office in Wałbrzych by pawulon, CC BY-SA 3.0, both Wikimedia Commons
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner complain to the Labour Inspection in Poland?
The PIP page speaks of employees and does not exclude foreigners, and PIP runs a line for the legality of employing foreigners. File in Polish with the correct signature form.
Does the employer learn who complained?
PIP says complainant data is protected and not disclosed without your written consent. In some cases an inspection needs your consent to say who complained.
How fast does PIP respond?
Employee complaints are examined without undue delay and no later than one month from receipt.
Is a scanned signed complaint accepted?
No. PIP says a scan of a hand-signed letter does not meet the formal requirements. Send the paper original or use a qualified, trusted or personal electronic signature.
What if my B2B contract is really employment?
From 8 July 2026 PIP can act on such cases, but only if you still work for the entity on the day of the inspection. After the work has ended, the labour court decides.
