The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy announced on Monday, 2 November, that a shorter working time can be reconciled with the smooth functioning of companies and institutions, although it requires changes in how work is organised. The ministry summarised another stage of the pilot, with wages maintained.
The summary comes from the third meeting of the Team for Shorter Working Time, held on Tuesday, 27 October, at the ministry. According to the ministry’s information on gov.pl, the meeting was attended by representatives of employers, trade unions, non-governmental organisations, academic circles, local governments, and the companies and institutions taking part in the pilot. As a news agency cited by Bankier.pl reported, among other things, the results of a survey of employers and employees participating in the programme in Q2 2026 were discussed.
How many employers and how much shorter
According to a ministry statement cited by, among others, RMF24 and Money.pl, 78 employers currently take part in the programme: 38 private and 40 public. They represent various sectors, and the tested solutions cover nearly 5,000 employees.
In the first half of 2026, participants cut working time by at least 10%, and in the second half by 20%. The most common choice was a gradual reduction of weekly working hours. Some organisations introduced a four-day working week, while others added extra days off. The basic premise of the pilot is „fewer working hours, but the same pay”.
The ministry’s conclusions and employers’ challenges
The ministry said the projects are being implemented in line with the schedule and that companies have not so far reported any negative changes in their operations. They maintain stable financial standing and timeliness. Employers, however, point to organisational challenges: more difficult shift scheduling, arranging cover during absences, and maintaining continuity of production and customer service.
These are conclusions drawn from participants’ experiences, not a final assessment of the programme. A full analysis is to be prepared only after the tests end.
Scale and timeline of the pilot
1,994 entities applied for the programme. In October 2025, the ministry announced that 90 employers had been selected, and it now speaks of 78 participants. The available statements do not explain where this difference comes from.
The preparatory phase ended on 31 December 2025, and testing began on 1 January 2026. It will run until the end of December 2026. Afterwards, participants will prepare reports on the implementation of their projects. Their analysis is intended to help assess the effects of shorter working time and which models work in particular sectors. The programme in 2025–2027 has been allocated PLN 50 million, and the maximum support for a single project is PLN 1 million (no more than PLN 20,000 per employee), as the ministry stated when the call was launched.
What it means
For most employees in Poland, nothing changes for now. The pilot is voluntary and covers nearly 5,000 people, and shorter working time does not follow from the provisions of the Labour Code. Any decisions on changes to the law are to be based on participants’ reports, which will be produced after 31 December 2026. The summary of the pilot, according to the ministry’s earlier announcements, is to be ready by 15 May 2027. As of publication, the ministry has not provided specific results concerning productivity, absenteeism or costs for employers.
