Fixed Term Contracts In Poland—Material Changes In Law Coming Soon

A major change in Polish labor law is imminent. In essence, Parliament is seeking to eliminate some differences in protection enjoyed by employees on indefinite term contracts and those working on fixed term contracts.

The impetus to create the new law arose after the European Commission pursued a legal action against Poland for failing to comply properly with its obligations under EU law—namely due to the inconsistencies of the Polish Labour Code with the provisions of Council Directive 1999/70/EC of 28 June 1999 concerning the framework agreement on fixed-term work concluded by the European Trade Union Conference (ETUC), Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE) and the European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services (CEEP). Another important factor was the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and, in particular, the ruling of March 13, 2014 in the case Nierodzik (the question of the District Court in