Special Leave in Poland: Wedding, Funeral, Carer's Leave, On-Demand
Short answer: Polish employees get 2 days off for their own wedding or a parent's funeral, 5 unpaid carer's days, 2 days or 16 hours of force majeure leave at half pay, and 4 on-demand holiday days.
Polish employees can take several kinds of paid and unpaid time off that are separate from annual holiday leave. Many foreign workers only learn about them when a family event happens. This guide uses two official sources: the page "Urlopy pracownicze" from the State Labour Inspectorate (PIP, pip.gov.pl) and the English page "Exemption from work" from the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy (gov.pl). We read both on 18 October 2026. They summarise the Labour Code and the regulation on justifying absence from work. The PIP page does not state a date of last update, so check the current rules with your employer or PIP if the case is important. Neither source says anything different for foreigners, so the rules apply to employees under an employment contract regardless of nationality. The sources do not describe how they apply to civil-law contracts or self-employment.
Special leave for family events (urlop okolicznościowy)
The PIP page stresses that this occasional leave is not part of annual leave. The amount depends on the event.
- 2 days: the employee's own wedding, the birth of the employee's child, or the death and funeral of the employee's spouse, child, father, mother, stepfather or stepmother.
- 1 day: the wedding of the employee's child, or the death and funeral of the employee's sister, brother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandmother or grandfather, or another person who is dependent on the employee or in their direct care.
The ministry page lists the same days. It also lists other exemptions from work, for example for the time needed to appear at the request of a public authority, a court, the prosecutor's office or the police, and for a blood donor for the time set by the blood donation centre.
Force majeure leave
According to PIP, an employee is entitled in each calendar year to 2 days or 16 hours of exemption from work for force majeure in urgent family matters caused by illness or accident, where the employee's immediate presence is necessary. The request has to be made to the employer at the latest on the day the exemption is used. For this time the employee keeps the right to half of the pay. For part-time employees the amount is proportionate to working time, and an incomplete hour is rounded up to a full hour.
Carer's leave (urlop opiekuńczy)
PIP says an employee is entitled to 5 working days a year of carer's leave to give personal care or support to a family member (mother, father, son, daughter, spouse) or a person living in the same household who needs care or support for serious medical reasons. It is given on days that are working days for the employee. The request, on paper or electronically, must reach the employer at the latest 1 day before the leave starts. This leave is unpaid. The time still counts as employment for the purpose of employee rights that depend on length of employment.
Leave on demand (urlop na żądanie)
This one is part of annual leave. The employer must grant, on the employee's request and on the date the employee names, no more than 4 days of leave in each calendar year. It can be taken at once or in parts. PIP says all employees get these 4 days regardless of the working-time system, and the total cannot exceed 4 days in a calendar year even if the employee had several employers in that year. The on-demand days are not covered by the holiday plan.
Time off for parents of children up to 14
The ministry page lists an exemption of 16 hours or 2 days for an employee bringing up at least one child up to 14 years of age. We did not find the pay rule for this leave on the page, so ask your employer or check the Labour Code article before you rely on it.
A short checklist
1. Match the event to the right type: family event, urgent family emergency, long-term care, or ordinary holiday. 2. Check the deadline for asking: force majeure leave on the day itself, carer's leave at least 1 day before. 3. Ask whether it is paid: half pay for force majeure, unpaid for carer's leave, and the pay rule for family-event leave should be confirmed with your payroll. 4. Keep a record of your request in writing or by e-mail.
* Photos: All Saints' Day candles on graves in Zabrze (CC0) and a wedding in Biłgoraj before WWII (public domain), Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative.
Frequently asked questions
How many days off do I get for my own wedding in Poland?
Two days, according to the State Labour Inspectorate and the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. It is separate from annual leave.
Is carer's leave in Poland paid?
No. PIP states that carer's leave of 5 working days a year is unpaid, but the time counts towards length of employment for employee rights.
