Reviewed August 2026

Your employer in Poland is not paying: what to do

A late wage in Poland is not "how it goes" — it is a breach the employer can be fined between 1000 and 30 000 zł for. You have three routes and they are all free. The one thing that costs you is waiting.

First: your wage has a legal deadline

Wages paid monthly are due promptly once the amount is settled, and no later than the first 10 days of the following calendar month (Art. 85 § 2 of the Labour Code). Your employer may fix an earlier date, never a later one.

Even a one-day delay can be a breach, and it entitles you to statutory interest on top of the wage itself. You do not have to prove any loss to claim that interest.

Put the demand in writing first

Write down what you are owed, for which period, and by when you expect it. Email or a signed paper copy — anything that leaves a trace.
Keep the sent copy. This is the document that later shows you asked and were refused.
Give a short, specific deadline. A week is normal.
If the money arrives, you are done — this is where a good share of cases end.

Complain to the labour inspectorate (PIP)

The National Labour Inspectorate takes complaints free of charge and anonymously — your employer is not told who filed unless you give written consent. The inspectorate has 30 days to consider it.

An inspector can audit the employer, order the arrears paid, and open proceedings for an offence against employee rights. What PIP does not do is collect the money on your behalf — if the employer still refuses, the next step is court.

Going to the labour court is cheaper than it sounds

In the first instance an employee pays no court fees on a claim below 50 000 zł.
A claim up to 75 000 zł goes to the district court (sąd rejonowy); above that, to the regional court (sąd okręgowy).
You can claim statutory interest for the delay along with the wage.
Employment claims generally expire three years from the day the payment fell due.

What to gather right now

Your contract and any annexes — a photo is enough.
Your own shift record: dates, start, end, breaks. An entry made on the day carries more weight than one reconstructed months later.
Messages asking you to come in, stay late or cover a shift.
Bank statements showing what actually arrived and when.
Contact details of colleagues who worked the same shifts.

If the company goes under. Insolvency does not necessarily mean the money is gone: Poland has a Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund (FGŚP) that covers outstanding wages when an employer becomes insolvent. Conditions and deadlines apply — ask PIP, which advises free.

Common questions

I work without a contract. Do I have any rights?

Yes. No paperwork means fewer proofs, not fewer rights — an employment relationship is defined by how you actually work, not by what was signed. Your own shift record becomes the main evidence.

Can I be fired for complaining to PIP?

A complaint is anonymous unless you consent to being named. And dismissing someone in retaliation for going to the inspectorate is itself a breach.

I already quit. Can I still claim?

Yes. The three years run from the date the money fell due, not from the date you left.

They pay part of it and keep promising the rest.

Partial payment does not reset anything. Each unpaid part has its own due date and its own three-year clock, so write down which month each shortfall belongs to.

This page explains the general rules and is not legal advice. Your contract, collective agreement or work regulations may set terms more favourable than the statutory minimum. For a dispute, the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP) advises workers free of charge.