Probation Periods in Poland: Umowa na Okres Próbny Rules
Short answer: A Polish probation contract (umowa na okres próbny) lasts at most 3 months - 1 month if the planned fixed-term is under 6 months, 2 if under 12. Renewal with the same employer requires different work, and notice is 3 working days to 2 weeks depending on its length.
Most first jobs in Poland start with an umowa na okres próbny, a probation employment contract. It is a full employment contract with social insurance and paid leave, not a free trial - but its length, renewal and notice rules differ from ordinary contracts, and they changed significantly in 2023. Here is what the State Labour Inspection (PIP) and the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy say applies, as of October 2026.
What a probation contract is
According to PIP's employer guidance, a probation contract is concluded to check the employee's qualifications and suitability for a specific type of work. As a rule it cannot exceed three months. Crucially, the maximum length now depends on the contract the employer intends to sign next:
- one month if the planned fixed-term contract would be shorter than six months;
- two months if the planned fixed-term contract would be at least six and less than twelve months;
- three months in other cases, which is the general maximum.
The contract itself must state its duration or end date. For one- and two-month probation contracts it must also name the intended length of the follow-on fixed-term contract, and it may include an extension of up to one extra month where the type of work justifies it. If the parties agree, the probation extends by any leave or other justified absence that occurs, so a sick week does not eat your trial period.
PIP is blunt about the alternative: working without a contract is illegal, leaves the employee without labour-law protection and accrues no pension or disability contributions, and is an offence against employee rights.
Renewal: only for a different kind of work
An employer cannot simply run probation after probation with the same person. PIP states that a repeat probation contract with the same employee is possible only when the employee is to perform a different type of work. If you are asked to sign a second probation for the same job, that is a red flag worth raising.
Notice periods during probation
Either side can end a probation contract with notice, and the notice period depends on the agreed probation length, per the ministry's termination guidance:
- 3 working days if the probation does not exceed two weeks;
- 1 week if the probation is longer than two weeks;
- 2 weeks if the probation runs three months.
For comparison, once you move to a fixed-term or indefinite contract, notice is 2 weeks under six months of service, 1 month from six months, and 3 months from three years with the same employer.
What happens after probation
The follow-on contract is usually fixed-term (na czas określony), and here too there are hard limits. PIP explains that the total period of fixed-term employment between the same parties cannot exceed 33 months and the number of fixed-term contracts cannot exceed three. Cross either line and the law treats you as employed on an indefinite contract from the next day or from the fourth contract. Exceptions exist, notably for replacement contracts covering another employee's justified absence.
Your rights during probation
Probation is not a rights-free zone. Because it is an employment contract, you are covered by social insurance from day one, you accrue paid annual leave proportionally, and the general labour-code protections apply. The ministry's termination page also lists situations where an employer who dismisses a probation employee must prove the real reason was not an unlawful one, for example when the employee simultaneously works for another employer, requests information the employer must provide, or uses a right to training.
Practical checklist
- Read the end date and the stated intended follow-on contract length before signing.
- Check that the probation length matches the planned fixed-term: 1 month under 6 months, 2 months under 12, 3 months maximum.
- Agree in writing that leave and sick days extend the probation, so absence does not shorten your trial.
- Refuse a second probation for the same job - the law allows renewal only for different work.
- Remember your notice rights: 3 working days, 1 week or 2 weeks depending on the probation length.
- Track the 33-month, three-contract fixed-term limits for what comes after.
Frequently asked questions
### Is a probation contract real employment with ZUS insurance?
Yes. PIP describes it as one of the three types of employment contract; social insurance and labour-law protections apply from the first day.
Can my employer extend my 3-month probation by another month?
No. Three months is the general maximum. The one-month extension PIP mentions applies only to one- and two-month probation contracts where the type of work justifies it.
Can I quit during probation?
Yes. You can give notice - 3 working days, 1 week or 2 weeks depending on the probation length - or agree with the employer to end the contract by mutual consent.
My employer wants a new probation after mine ended, same job. Is that legal?
PIP says a repeat probation with the same employee is possible only for a different type of work. A second probation for the same role is not allowed.
