🇵🇱 Hire in Poland: cost, rules and best EOR options
Deep engineering talent (backend, data, embedded, QA) with strong English and a mature startup ecosystem. In the CET time zone, it is convenient for European teams and has a few hours' overlap with US East Coast mornings.
- Employer on-costs: 19.5–22.1% of gross salary (on a $60,000 salary, about $71,700–$73,260 total)
- EOR onboarding: Days to ~2 weeks (providers advertise 'days'; specific figure not verified); own entity: Roughly 1-3 months for a Polish sp. z o.o. incl. KRS, bank account, ZUS/tax registrations (estimate, not verified)
- Probation: Up to 3 months (probation contract). Notice during probation: 3 working days (up to 2 weeks), 1 week (over 2 weeks), 2 weeks (3 months).
- Currency: Polish zloty (PLN)
- Data confidence: medium, verified 2026-10-05
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What it costs to employ someone in Poland
Employer on-costs run roughly 19.5–22.1% on top of gross salary. Employer ZUS contributions on gross salary in 2026: pension 9.76% + disability 6.50% + accident 0.67%-3.33% + Labour Fund and Solidarity Fund 2.45% + FGSP 0.10%. Pension and disability stop above the annual cap of PLN 282,600. Excludes mandatory PPK employee pension scheme employer contribution (1.5% of gross, unless employee opts out) and any private benefits, so add up to ~1.5% if employees do not opt out. Rechecked 5 Oct 2026 against PwC (reviewed 11 Aug 2026), which gives 19.48%-22.14% and the PLN 282,600 cap: 9.76 + 6.50 + 0.67 + 2.45 + 0.10 = 19.48% (minimum accident rate) and 9.76 + 6.50 + 3.33 + 2.45 + 0.10 = 22.14% (maximum). Above the cap only accident, FP and FGSP remain (3.22%-5.88%).
| Contribution | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pension (emerytalne) | 9.76% | Capped at annual base PLN 282,600 (2026). |
| Disability (rentowe) | 6.50% | Same annual cap. |
| Accident (wypadkowe) | 0.67%-3.33% (1.67% default for small firms) | Depends on sector risk; no cap. |
| Labour Fund (FP) + Solidarity Fund (FS) | 2.45% combined | No cap. Labour Fund 2.45%; PwC's totals reconcile with FP 2.45% + FGSP 0.10% (a separate Solidarity Fund line is not itemised there). |
| FGSP (Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund) | 0.10% | No cap. |
Employer withholds employee ZUS (pension 9.76%, disability 1.5%, sickness 2.45%), health contribution 9% and PIT advance (12%/32% scale) and remits to ZUS/tax office.
Mandatory benefits
- Paid annual leave (20 or 26 days)
- Sick pay (80% of pay, first 33 days employer-paid, then ZUS)
- Maternity/parental leave
- PPK employee pension plan enrolment (employer 1.5%, employee may opt out)
- Occupational health checks
Employment rules at a glance
| Payroll | monthly (wages due at least monthly, typically paid by the 10th of the following month) |
|---|---|
| Probation | Up to 3 months (probation contract). Notice during probation: 3 working days (up to 2 weeks), 1 week (over 2 weeks), 2 weeks (3 months). |
| Notice & severance | Indefinite contracts: 2 weeks (under 6 months' tenure), 1 month (6 months-3 years), 3 months (3+ years). Statutory redundancy pay applies only for employers with 20+ employees: 1, 2 or 3 months' pay depending on tenure (<2 yrs, 2-8 yrs, 8+ yrs), capped at 15x the minimum wage (PLN 72,090 in 2026 = 15 x 4,806). Fixed-term contracts can generally be terminated with 2 weeks' notice if the contract allows it. |
| Working time | 8 hours/day, 40 hours/week in a 5-day week (average, in a settlement period up to 4 months). Overtime +50% (+100% at night, Sundays and holidays) or time off. Max 48 hours/week average including overtime. |
| Paid leave | 20 days (under 10 years' service) or 26 days (10+ years). 13-14 public holidays a year depending on how 6 January and Sundays fall. Since 2026 for private sector (reported effective 1 May 2026), prior self-employment/B2B and civil-law work periods count toward tenure. |
| Minimum wage | PLN 4,806 gross per month and PLN 31.40 per hour from 1 January 2026 (Council of Ministers regulation of 11 Sep 2025, up PLN 140 / 3% from PLN 4,666). |
Termination
Employer must state a genuine reason for terminating indefinite contracts, and employees can challenge in labour court (7-day filing window). Strong protections for pregnant employees, employees close to retirement age, and trade union reps. Fixed-term contracts limited to 33 months/3 contracts.
Employee or contractor in Poland?
B2B contracting is common in Poland's tech sector, and the legal test is the Labour Code 'employment relationship' features (subordination, work under direction, fixed place/time, remuneration). Misclassification can be reported by the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP), which can reclassify and impose fines on the employer; ZUS can claim back contributions.
Compare contractor vs employee cost →
Hiring through an EOR in Poland
Employing staff directly requires a Polish entity (sp. z o.o. or branch) registered with ZUS and the tax office. EOR is used for fast, compliance-safe hiring without an entity. Many providers advertise onboarding in days to about two weeks; no specific figure was confirmed from a single cited provider.
Typical onboarding: EOR Days to ~2 weeks (providers advertise 'days'; specific figure not verified); own entity Roughly 1-3 months for a Polish sp. z o.o. incl. KRS, bank account, ZUS/tax registrations (estimate, not verified). CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2) in summer; 6 hours ahead of US Eastern.
Providers worth shortlisting
| Provider | Best for | EOR pricing | Coverage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deel | Companies that want one platform for contractors, EOR and a US PEO, with transparent per-seat list prices. | $599 per EOR employee per month (public list price, checked 2026-10-05) | 150+ countries (vendor claim, per Deel's own and third-party descriptions) | Visit Deel |
| Remote | Teams that want a published price for each product (EOR, global payroll, contractors, contractor of record, US PEO) and an affiliate program with 12-month revenue share. | $699 per employee/month (public list price, checked 2026-10-05) | 90+ countries for EOR (vendor pricing page claim) | Visit Remote |
| Rippling | Companies already running (or willing to adopt) a unified HR, IT and finance platform who want global hiring as an add-on module. | — | Visit Rippling | |
| Oyster | Distributed teams that want published EOR and contractor prices and a long-running affiliate program with tiered revenue share. | $699 per employee/month (public list price, checked 2026-10-05); annual discounts available; refundable deposit required | 120+ countries EOR; contractors in 180+ countries (vendor claim) | Visit Oyster |
| Papaya Global | Mid-size and larger companies that need multi-country payroll orchestration and workforce payments, and will go through a sales process. | 160+ countries (vendor claim as repeated on FlexOffers listing and third-party pages) | Visit Papaya Global | |
| Multiplier | Cost-conscious teams that want EOR priced below $500 per employee with an annual discount. | Third-party summary of Multiplier's pricing: EOR from $459/employee/month on annual contracts and $499 on monthly contracts (not confirmed; multiplier pricing page returned 403 to our fetch) | — | Visit Multiplier |
| Remofirst | Small teams that want the lowest published EOR starting price and a free contractor tier. | Starting at $199 per person/month (public list price, checked 2026-10-05); 'no hidden fees, setup fees, or minimum contract terms' per vendor page | 185+ countries for EOR (vendor claim) | Visit Remofirst |
| Pebl (formerly Velocity Global) | Companies that want an EOR with a tiered reseller/partner program and are comfortable with a recently rebranded vendor. | Third-party reports a flat $399 per employee/month (not confirmed on vendor page; hellopebl.com/pricing returned 404) | 185+ countries (third-party report) | Visit Pebl (formerly Velocity Global) |
Paying and covering your team in Poland
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FAQ
What employer social contributions apply in Poland?
Pension 9.76%, disability 6.5%, accident 0.67%-3.33%, Labour Fund and Solidarity Fund 2.45% and FGSP 0.10%, about 19.5%-22.1% of gross.
How long is the probation period?
Up to 3 months using a probation contract; the notice during probation is 3 working days up to 2 weeks and 1 week for longer.
How much holiday do Polish employees get?
20 days under 10 years of service and 26 days thereafter, plus public holidays.
Is severance mandatory?
Only for collective or individual redundancies at employers with 20+ employees, at 1-3 months' pay depending on tenure.