Poland’s new sick leave regulations come into force today. Although public debate has framed them as a “revolution in sick leave rules,” in practice the changes are mainly intended to clarify provisions that until now have been open to conflicting interpretations, with direct implications for business costs and workforce organization. At the same time, the amendment for the first time in years genuinely strengthens the position of smaller companies by giving them tools to monitor sick leave more effectively.
The data show that the issue is significant. According to analyses by Conperio, a Polish advisory firm specializing in sickness absence, as many as around 33% of sick leave certificates are used improperly, which directly affects companies’ operating costs and team stability. Even so, sickness absence remains one of the key operational challenges in many organizations.
Myths and facts about the new sick leave rules
1. MYTH: Employees will be allowed to work while on sick leave
FACT: The new rules clearly define paid work as any activity performed for financial gain, regardless of the form of employment. Carrying out such work still means losing the right to sickness benefit, except in incidental situations arising from important circumstances and not at the employer’s instruction.
2. MYTH: You are not allowed to leave home while on sick leave
FACT: The regulations clarify that basic everyday activities are permitted, such as grocery shopping or visiting a pharmacy, as long as they do not interfere with treatment or recovery.
3. MYTH: Sick leave inspections will be ineffective
FACT: The amendment streamlines and strengthens the inspection process, including broader powers to obtain information and assess whether a given activity affects the recovery process. In practice, this should lead to more consistent and predictable decisions.
4. MYTH: Only large companies can check employees on sick leave
FACT: From April 13, smaller companies as well, including those with fewer than 20 employees that pay sick pay, gain the right to independently verify how sick leave is being used. This is one of the most important changes for the SME sector.
More clarity, fewer interpretations
“These are not changes that will, by themselves, reduce abuse. The regulations bring more order to the rules, but what remains crucial is how companies manage sickness absence and how effectively they enforce these provisions,” says Mikołaj Zając, labor market expert and CEO of Conperio.
In the whole of 2025, 27.5 million sick leave certificates were issued in Poland, covering more than 290 million days of absence. The scale of the phenomenon means that legal clarity now matters not only from a legal perspective, but also from an operational one.
The new regulations are intended to reduce interpretative disputes and give companies more concrete grounds for action.
