Poland plans to significantly change the internship rules: the state wants to introduce a minimum wage for interns and prohibit any unpaid work under the guise of practice. The bill from the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy provides for new regulations regarding payment, working hours, duration of internships, and employer oversight. This is reported by "InPoland".
Minimum Wage for Interns in Poland
The bill proposes to establish clear rules that previously did not exist. Interns are to receive a compensation of 35% of the average salary in the country. Currently, this is about 3070 zł gross. The salary cannot exceed the average in the economy - approximately 8749 zł gross.
Key conditions of the new regulation:
- internships cannot last longer than 6 months;
- the number of interns in the company cannot exceed the number of employees;
- the intern is entitled to rest: 1 vacation day per month in the first 3 months and 2 days in the next 3;
- maximum working hours - 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week;
- internship agreements must contain a specific program, purpose, and responsibilities;
- contracts can be terminated in writing - with 7 days' notice (up to 3 months) or 14 days' notice (3–6 months).
Contributions to the social insurance fund will also be paid for interns.
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Employment expert Vitaliy Serhiyovych Belene ts notes that the reform has two sides. According to him, compensation for internships has long been overdue, as 'unpaid work under the guise of training often became a way for employers to save money.' At the same time, Belene ts emphasizes that new costs may reduce the number of internship offers:
'Small companies physically cannot afford to pay even a few interns. Therefore, competition for positions will grow, while the number of places will actually decrease.'
New Internship Rules in Poland: Who Will Be Affected by the Changes
The law effectively prohibits unpaid internships. The National Labor Inspectorate will have the right to inspect employers and impose sanctions for violations of the conditions. The government estimates that the new rules will cost businesses about 1 billion zł per year. This could force some companies - especially in the SME sector - to reduce the number of interns or completely abandon interns.
Changes are planned to be implemented in the last quarter of 2026.
Earlier, we wrote that the contribution to medical insurance in Poland will increase in February 2026.