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Poland: pay range for candidates under Labour Code Art. 18³ᶜᵃ, and the broader bill still pending

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By Bandplain · Last verified: 2026-10-04 · Rule pack 2026-10 · Information, not legal advice

In short. Since 24 December 2025, every employer in Poland must give job applicants the pay, its initial amount or range, and the relevant collective-agreement or pay-regulation provisions where these apply (Labour Code Art. 18³ᶜᵃ). The information goes in the job ad; if it was not there, before the interview; otherwise before the employment relationship starts. Employers may not ask about pay in current or previous jobs (Art. 22¹ §1 pt 6). The broader Polish bill that would implement the rest of Directive (EU) 2023/970 (UC127) is not yet adopted, so there is no Polish statutory deadline for pay-information requests or pay-gap reports yet. (Source: Act of 4 June 2025, Dz.U. 2025 poz. 807, https://api.sejm.gov.pl/eli/acts/DU/2025/807/text.pdf, opened 2026-10-04.)

Who this applies to

Question Answer Source
Which employers? All employers; no size floor see Sources
In force since 24 December 2025 (six months after publication on 23 June 2025, Art. 2 of the amending act) see Sources
Which law? Labour Code (Kodeks pracy) Art. 18³ᶜᵃ and Art. 22¹ §1 pt 6, inserted by the Act of 4 June 2025 see Sources
Not yet in force The broader implementing bill UC127 Poland row

What to disclose about pay, and when

Art. 18³ᶜᵃ §1: the applicant receives (1) the pay (pay as defined in Art. 18³ᶜ §2, that is, all components), its initial amount or range, based on objective, gender-neutral criteria, and (2) the relevant collective-agreement or pay-regulation provisions, where they apply. Source: listed at the end of this guide.

Art. 18³ᶜᵃ §2 sets a cascade, on paper or electronically, early enough for an informed negotiation:

Step Applies when Source
1. In the job ad There is an ad see Sources
2. Before the interview There was no ad, or it lacked the information see Sources
3. Before the employment relationship starts Otherwise see Sources

Also: ads and job titles must be gender-neutral and recruitment non-discriminatory (§3). Our reading, which needs professional review, is that an ad without the range is not by itself a breach if the range is given before the interview. The wording itself provides for this case: step 2 applies where the employer "did not provide this information in the ad" (§2 pt 2). We still recommend putting the range in the ad. ("Checker reading".)

Salary-history questions

The employer may ask about employment history excluding pay in the current and previous jobs (Art. 22¹ §1 pt 6). In practice, do not ask candidates what they earned. Source: listed at the end of this guide.

Pay-information requests from employees

Directive (EU) 2023/970 requires a written answer to a worker's request about their individual pay and average pay by sex for comparable work, within a reasonable period and in any event within two months (Directive Art. 7; see Sources). Poland has not adopted a statute for this yet: the Labour Code amendment in force covers recruitment, not employee requests (§3.1). Until UC127 passes, there is no Polish deadline for us to cite. A sensible internal rule is to answer within the directive's two-month outer limit.

Reporting thresholds and dates

None yet in Polish law. Under the directive, first reports are due by 7 June 2027 for employers with 250 or more workers (then annually) and 150 to 249 (then every three years); 100 to 149 by 7 June 2031; under 100 voluntary unless national law requires it (Directive Art. 9; see Sources). Poland's own reporting rules depend on UC127 .

Where the Polish bill stands

Item Status (2026-10-04) Source
Bill UC127, "o wzmocnieniu stosowania prawa do jednakowego wynagrodzenia…" (project 12405300) see Sources
Stage New version sent for consultation on 4 May 2026; not yet adopted by the Council of Ministers see Sources
Entry into force Reported as six months after publication; not before 2027 is our estimate, unverified see Sources
Official page https://legislacja.rcl.gov.pl/projekt/12405300 (opened 2026-10-04) see Sources

What is not yet settled (as of 2026-10-04)

  1. Penalties. The amending act adds no specific fine. Whether general Labour Code offences (for example Art. 281) apply is for professional review; the UC127 draft reportedly adds fines. We state no amounts.
  2. Range at the interview stage only. Whether giving the range only at the interview is enough when an ad was published without it needs professional review; our reading is that the cascade allows it. (review-pack-2026-10.1.md §7, item 1)
  3. UC127 content and date. Everything about requests, reporting and pay-gap duties in Poland depends on the final text of the bill.

Checklist for the next job ad

  • The ad states the starting pay or a range for the role.
  • If it does not, a named person gives the range in writing before the interview.
  • You give the relevant collective-agreement or pay-regulation provisions if you have them.
  • Ad wording and job title are gender-neutral.
  • Nobody asks about pay in current or previous jobs.
  • You keep a record of when and how each applicant received the range.
  • You answer employee pay questions within two months as a working rule, and review again when UC127 is adopted.
  • A Polish labour-law adviser has reviewed your template.

FAQ

Is the range required in the ad in Poland? The law's first step is the ad; if the ad lacks it, it must be given before the interview, or otherwise before employment starts (Art. 18³ᶜᵃ §2).

Does it apply to small companies? Yes, to all employers .

Can I ask for the candidate's current salary? No. The employer may ask about employment history but not about pay in current or previous jobs (Art. 22¹ §1 pt 6).

Is there a Polish deadline for employee pay requests? Not yet in a statute we have verified; UC127 is pending .

Do Polish employers have to file a pay-gap report in 2027? Not under a Polish law yet; the directive's dates apply through national law and Poland's law is not yet adopted (§3).

Sources (all opened 2026-10-04)

Update log

  • 2026-10-04: first draft. Next scheduled review: 2 November 2026; re-check UC127 stage (item 7).