Work Certificate in Poland: Świadectwo Pracy Deadlines and Corrections
Short answer: Your employer must issue the swiadectwo pracy on the day employment ends, or post it within 7 days. Ask for a correction within 14 days of receiving it.
When a job ends in Poland, the employer must hand over a work certificate, świadectwo pracy. It is the document a new employer, the labour office or ZUS may ask for later, because it records how long you worked, what you did and how the job ended. This guide covers the deadline, what must be in it, what to do if it is wrong, and what an employer may not demand. It is based on the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy page and art. 97 of the Labour Code (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1245, the version in force from 24 September to 4 November 2026).
When you must receive it
Under art. 97 § 1, when an employment relationship ends or expires, the employer must give the employee the certificate on the day the relationship ends, unless the employer intends to start a new employment with the same person within 7 days.
If handing it over that day is objectively impossible, the employer must send it within 7 days after that date by postal operator, according to the Code. The ministry adds that it can also be delivered in another way, and it can go to a person you authorise.
The ministry says the duty does not depend on the type of employment contract. It depends on whether the employer plans to continue employing you after the previous contract.
If you are re-hired within 7 days
If the same employer takes you on again within 7 days of the previous employment ending, the employer issues the certificate only if you ask for it, on paper or electronically. The Code says you may file that request at any time. It can cover the previous period or all periods for which no certificate was issued. The employer must issue it within 7 days of the request.
The employer cannot hold it hostage
Art. 97 § 1(3) says that issuing the certificate cannot depend on the employee first settling accounts with the employer. The ministry repeats this: the employer cannot make the certificate depend on you settling accounts first.
What the certificate contains
The Code says the certificate states the period and kind of work, the positions held, the way the employment ended or the circumstances of its expiry, and other information needed to establish employee and social insurance rights. It also notes any attachment of wages under enforcement rules. The ministry lists many details, including:
- working time during the employment;
- the period covered by compensation for a shortened notice period;
- annual leave due and used in the year the employment ended;
- parental, paternity, childcare and unpaid leave used, with the legal basis;
- care leave and force majeure time off used in that year;
- the number of days of occasional remote work in the year of termination;
- periods of work in special conditions and non-contributory periods;
- wages the employer acknowledged but did not pay because of a lack of funds.
At your request, the certificate must also state your pay and its components, and your qualifications gained. If you want those, say so in writing before the end date.
If something is wrong
Art. 97 § 2(1) and the ministry give two short deadlines:
- you have 14 days from receiving the certificate to ask the employer to correct it;
- if the employer refuses, you have 14 days from being told of the refusal to take the claim to the labour court;
- if the employer does not tell you it refuses, the claim goes to the labour court.
The ministry says correction means a new certificate issued within the same period. The employer also issues a new one when a court upholds the correction claim, when a court reinstates you or awards compensation after a wrongful dismissal without notice for employee fault, or when a court awards compensation for a late or wrong certificate. In the wrongful dismissal case the new certificate states that the contract was ended by notice from the employer.
Practical tips for expats
- Check the dates, job title and reason for ending the contract the day you get it. The 14-day clock starts at receipt.
- Keep the certificate. The Code says it must contain the information needed to establish employee rights and social insurance rights.
The text above reflects the version of art. 97 shown as in force from 24 September to 4 November 2026. The cited version is dated only until 4 November 2026, so a newer version may follow. Check the current wording before you rely on a date or deadline.
* Photos: Historic employment record books (public domain), Wikimedia Commons, illustrative only and not Polish documents.
Frequently asked questions
When must my employer give me the work certificate in Poland?
On the day your employment ends, or by post within 7 days if that is objectively impossible, according to art. 97 of the Labour Code. If you are re-hired within 7 days, it is issued only on your request.
Can the employer refuse until I return company property?
No. Art. 97 says issuing the certificate cannot depend on the employee settling accounts with the employer first.
How long do I have to dispute mistakes in it?
14 days from receiving it to ask the employer for a correction, and 14 days from the refusal notice to go to the labour court.
