Platform work in Poland: the draft law on app couriers and drivers
Short answer: UC160 is a draft, not law yet. It would presume employment when a platform directs and controls work, and PIP could rule on it. The EU deadline is 2 December 2026.
Where the bill stands, as of 17 October 2026
Poland is preparing a law for people who work through apps: couriers, ride drivers, translators, freelancers on digital platforms. It is a draft, not law. The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy (MRPiPS) published the bill, numbered UC160, on the Government Legislation Centre site in early August 2026, according to prawo.pl (7 August 2026). The ministry said on 4 August 2026 that the bill had passed the government's programming team and would go to public consultation.
The bill implements EU Directive 2024/2831 on improving working conditions in platform work. The directive's deadline for member states is 2 December 2026. The government plans to adopt the bill in the fourth quarter of 2026, according to prawo.pl. As of mid-October 2026 we found no sign that the Council of Ministers had adopted it or that it had reached the Sejm. Employers' groups are still asking for changes (TruckFocus, 16 October 2026). The final text may differ from the draft described here.
Who it would cover
According to prawo.pl, the draft defines a digital labour platform as a service that is provided at least partly at a distance by electronic means, is provided at the request of a customer, involves organising paid work by individuals as an essential element, and uses automated monitoring or decision systems.
A person working through a platform is any individual doing the work, regardless of how the contract is labelled. The draft covers work done on Polish territory. The sources we read do not say anything specific about foreign nationals, so nothing here changes the rules on work permits or residence. This article does not cover those.
The main idea: a presumption of employment
According to the ministry, the bill would introduce a rebuttable presumption of an employment relationship. If there is a dispute, the worker only has to make it plausible that they work under the direction and control of the platform or its intermediary. Then the platform has to prove that the person is not an employee under the Labour Code.
The ministry says the presumption would apply in court and in administrative proceedings before the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP). TruckFocus adds that proceedings could start on a worker's request or on PIP's own initiative.
The directive itself says the presumption should apply only from 2 December 2026, including to contracts already running on that date, and not to earlier periods (recital 33 of the directive, EUR-Lex).
Why PIP matters here
The ministry points to the PIP reform that came into force on 8 July 2026. It says that reform gave the inspectorate power to run administrative proceedings and issue decisions that turn unlawful contracts into employment contracts. Without that, the ministry argues, protection for couriers would mostly exist before labour courts, which platform workers rarely use.
Algorithms and data
According to the ministry, the bill would also:
increase oversight of the algorithms that manage work, and limit decisions such as ending a contract that are taken by an algorithm alone, without a human;
strengthen protection of personal data processed by platforms, with penalties for breaches;
require platforms to tell PIP that they use people's work and which intermediaries they work with, with sanctions for failing to do so.
* Photos: illustrative images of delivery riders in Tokyo (CC0) and another city (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons. They do not show Poland.
Timing in the draft
According to prawo.pl, the draft would take effect one month after publication in the Journal of Laws. Within six months after that, platforms would have to give PIP information on people working on Polish territory, including the number of people by contract type, their activity level and the platform's general contract terms. The platform must also report a platform employee to PIP before the person starts work.
What it means in practice
Nothing changes for you today. If you work through an app in Poland, your contract stays as it is until a law is passed and published. If the bill passes in roughly its current form, a person who works under a platform's control, for example by being told how to do the job or being rated and penalised by an algorithm, could ask PIP to examine whether the contract is really employment. Whether a specific job would count would depend on the facts and the final law, so ask PIP or a labour lawyer about your own case.
Frequently asked questions
Is the platform work law in force?
No. As of 17 October 2026 it is a government draft (UC160). The EU deadline is 2 December 2026 and the government plans to adopt the bill in Q4 2026, according to prawo.pl.
Does it mean every courier becomes an employee?
No. The draft creates a rebuttable presumption. A worker must make it plausible that the platform directs and controls the work, and then the platform can try to prove it is not employment.
Does it apply to foreigners?
The draft covers work done in Poland by any individual, but the sources we read do not discuss foreigners or work permits. Check the final text.
