Hire Employees in Poland From The US

Most of the friction US companies hit hiring in Poland comes from one thing: in the US the default is at-will employment, in Poland the default is the opposite. Employment is protected by law, and most of what a US employer treats as a business decision is instead a fixed statutory requirement.

Termination is not at-will. In the US, absent a contract saying otherwise, either party can end employment at any time for almost any reason. In Poland, ending an indefinite employment contract requires a valid, stated reason and a fixed statutory notice period, 2 weeks, 1 month or 3 months, depending on how long the employee has worked for you. There is no equivalent to walking someone out the same day without cause.

Paid leave is a legal entitlement, not a policy. US federal law doesn’t require any paid vacation or sick leave, it’s set by company policy or state law. In Poland, 20 to 26 days of paid annual leave is a statutory minimum, and separate paid sick leave is mandated on top of that, paid first by the employer and then by the state social security system (ZUS) for longer absences.

Pension contributions are mandatory and automatic. Where 401k participation in the US is typically opt-in, Poland runs PPK, Employee Capital Plans, an auto-enrolment pension scheme with both employer and employee contributions built into the payroll cost. Employees can opt out, but they’re enrolled by default.

Overtime rules are stricter and apply more broadly. Poland caps overtime at 150 hours a year for most employees and requires a 50% to 100% pay premium depending on when the overtime falls, weekday, night, Sunday or holiday. The broad exempt-salaried carve-out common in the US doesn’t exist in the same way.

Misclassifying a worker carries real penalties. Paying someone as a contractor in Poland when their working pattern looks like employment, fixed hours, direct supervision, one client, can trigger fines and, since a 2026 reform, an administrative reclassification by Poland’s labour inspectorate that takes effect immediately, before any appeal. See our guide on B2B contract reclassification in Poland, or go straight to converting a contractor to compliant employment.

IP ownership needs a specific written clause. US work-for-hire doctrine broadly assumes company ownership of work product created by employees. Under Polish law, IP transfer runs through the Polish Copyright Act and needs to be handled correctly in the contract, it isn’t automatic in the same way.

Non-compete clauses require ongoing payment. A post-termination non-compete in Poland is only enforceable if the employer pays the employee compensation for the restricted period, generally at least 25% of their prior pay. An unpaid non-compete clause copied from a US contract template is not enforceable in Poland.