Poland to Change Salary Calculation Rules: What Employers Will Consider

Poland is preparing for the full implementation of the EU directive on pay transparency. Employers will have to analyze not only base rates but also bonuses, benefits, and other components of remuneration. Against the backdrop of these changes, the EU is expanding salary requirements in job postings. This is reported by InPoland.

Salary Transparency in Poland: What Will Be Included in Reports

Initially, the new reporting requirements will apply to companies with more than 250 employees. They must prepare reports on remuneration and calculate the pay gap between women and men.

The analysis will include the basic hourly or monthly rate as well as additional payments and benefits. In particular, employers must consider:

• bonuses, seniority allowances, and quarterly bonuses;
• supplements for night work, overtime, and holiday work;
• compensation for harmful working conditions;
• medical packages, sports, and meal cards;
• housing and fuel assistance;
• payments for the first 33 days of sick leave, severance pay, and compensations upon dismissal.

Compensation for remote work, as well as assistance related to pregnancy, childbirth, or childcare, will not be included in the calculation. The requirements will apply to all components of remuneration, not just the amount that an employee sees in the base rate. For Ukrainians working in the country, data on Ukrainian salaries in Poland were previously published.

Wage Gap in Poland: How Employers Will Explain the Difference

If two employees perform the same job but receive different pay, the company must be ready to justify the difference. Criteria may include experience, scope of duties, and work results. It is important that the rules are objective and do not have a discriminatory nature.

The full deadline for implementing the directive into the legislation of EU countries expired on June 7, 2026, but many states have not managed to meet all the requirements. In Poland, part of the rules is effective from December 24, 2025: candidates must be informed of the amount or range of future salary, and it is prohibited to inquire about their previous earnings.

Employees will also be able to request data on the average pay of people performing the same work or work of equal value, broken down by gender. Against the backdrop of the new requirements, those applying for jobs in Poland should carefully check the terms of the contract and the components of payment, including possible risks while working in Poland.