Maternity, paternity and parental leave in Poland

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How it works

Urlop macierzyński is 20 weeks for one child (up to 37 for multiples), up to six of which may be taken before the birth; the first 14 weeks after the birth are reserved to the mother, who may then transfer the remainder to the father. Urlop ojcowski is two weeks at 100%, usable in two blocks until the child's first birthday. The 2023 transposition of the EU Work-Life Balance Directive set urlop rodzicielski at 41 weeks (43 for multiples), with nine weeks non-transferable for each parent, usable until the end of the calendar year in which the child turns six, in up to five blocks. Maternity allowance is 100% of the pay base; parental allowance is 70%, except that a mother who applies within 21 days of the birth for the whole maternity and parental period receives 81.5% throughout, while the father's nine reserved weeks are always at 70%. The allowances are paid by ZUS, advanced through payroll by employers with more than 20 insured staff. Urlop wychowawczy adds up to 36 months of unpaid leave, one month reserved per parent, until the child is six.

If you run a team in Poland

Grant the leave on written request (21 days' notice for parental leave), advance the ZUS allowance if you have more than 20 insured employees, and keep the post — or an equivalent one on no worse terms — open. Dismissal is prohibited during pregnancy and all these leaves except in narrow cases. Annual leave accrues in full during maternity, paternity and parental leave, and untaken leave must be granted immediately after the employee returns if requested.

If you work in Poland

Decide within 21 days of the birth whether you want 81.5% throughout or 100% for maternity and 70% for parental leave. Fathers must use the two weeks of paternity leave before the child's first birthday and their nine weeks of parental leave before the end of the year the child turns six. Requests for parental leave go to the employer in writing 21 days ahead.

Parental leave and annual leave

Maternity, paternity and parental leave count as periods of employment for annual leave, which accrues in full; annual leave immediately after maternity or parental leave must be granted on request. Unpaid child-care leave reduces annual leave proportionally.

The annual leave entitlement itself is covered on our Poland annual leave page — 20 working days minimum.

Keeping the record straight

Long leaves are where leave records go wrong quietly: holiday that kept accruing for months and was never credited, a return date nobody diarised, a reduced entitlement applied where the law forbids it. In Poland the rules above decide what is owed on return, and the record has to show it. A tracker like Leavo keeps the leave, the accrual and the approvals in one place so the return is a date, not a dispute. We compare the options in our leave management software guide, and the policy side — carryover, payout, accrual — in our guides.

Source

Primary source: Kodeks pracy arts. 180–186 (urlop macierzyński, rodzicielski, ojcowski, wychowawczy). Benefit rates and ceilings change every year and collective agreements frequently improve on the statutory scheme — confirm against the current text before acting. See our methodology.