Got a difficult letter from your employer? What Polish labour law says

A written letter from your employer — a termination notice, a disciplinary warning, or a change to your terms — can be stressful to receive, especially if your Polish isn't strong. The good news: Polish labour law (Kodeks pracy) sets out fairly strict rules for what these letters must contain and how you can respond, and they apply to you regardless of your nationality as long as you're employed under a Polish umowa o pracę.

A termination notice (wypowiedzenie) must, by law:

• Be in writing.
• State the notice period you're entitled to, which depends on how long you've worked there (generally 2 weeks, 1 month, or 3 months).
• If your contract is for an indefinite period (na czas nieokreślony), give a genuine reason for the dismissal in the letter itself.
• Include information about your right to appeal, and to which court.

Your right to challenge it

If you believe a termination (or a summary dismissal without notice) was unjustified or didn't follow the correct procedure, you can appeal to the labour court (sąd pracy). This is a real, commonly-used right — not just a theoretical one.

• You generally have a short window to file — check the exact deadline stated in your own letter, as this is time-sensitive and worth confirming quickly with a lawyer or free legal aid rather than guessing.
• The claim itself is free to file for an employee.
• You can ask the court to reinstate you, or for compensation instead.

If a letter isn't about termination

Disciplinary letters (upomnienie, nagana) and changes to your working conditions (wypowiedzenie zmieniające) follow their own, separate rules and deadlines. If you're not sure what kind of letter you've received or what it actually requires from you, that's exactly the kind of document worth getting properly explained rather than guessing from a translation app.

If the letter relates to you changing or losing your job while on a work-based residence permit, this also affects your immigration status — see your deadlines if you changed jobs or lost your job on a work-based permit. For how your contract type affects things like sick pay and notice periods generally, see employment contract, zlecenie, or B2B — what each means.

This is general information, not legal advice

Every case depends on your specific contract and letter. If you're considering an appeal, contact the State Labour Inspectorate (PIP), a labour-law solicitor, or a free legal aid point as soon as possible — deadlines in labour law are strict.