Reviewed August 2026

Working without a contract in Poland: you still have rights

No signed paper means less written proof, not fewer rights. Polish law decides whether you are an employee by how the work actually runs — not by what was, or was not, signed.

The relationship is defined by the facts

Under the Labour Code, an employment relationship exists when the work has the features of employment, whatever the arrangement is called. If the employer sets your place of work, sets your hours and directs how the work is done, those are the marks of employment.

Not registering you is the employer’s failure and the employer’s liability. It is not a reason you lose the pay you earned.

What points to an employment relationship

The employer decides when and where you work, and you cannot freely send someone else in your place.
You follow instructions about how the work is done, not just what result is delivered.
You are on a roster together with registered staff, doing the same work.
You are paid at regular intervals, in a pattern that looks like wages.

What to do when you are not paid

Write to the employer asking for the amount and the date. Even a message creates a record.
Complain to the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP). It is free, and a complaint can be made anonymously.
Go to the labour court if that fails. For an employee’s claim up to 50 000 zł there are no court fees.
Collect everything before you act: your own shift record, rosters, messages, names of colleagues.

Your own record is the evidence you control. A shift written down on the day it happened carries far more weight than a recollection months later. It is the one piece of evidence that does not depend on the employer handing anything over.

Common questions

Will I be in trouble for having worked unregistered?

Registering you is the employer’s legal duty, and the sanctions are aimed at the employer. Do not let a threat about your own position stop you from asking PIP — that threat is the point of making it.

Can I be dismissed for complaining?

Retaliation for exercising your rights is unlawful. In practice, having your own dated record of the work and of your complaint is what makes retaliation expensive for the employer.

How long do I have to claim?

Pay claims under the Labour Code generally expire three years after each amount fell due. Each unpaid month runs its own clock, so waiting quietly costs the oldest months first.

I have no contract and no payslips. Is that hopeless?

No. Rosters, messages, entry logs, witness statements from colleagues and your own contemporaneous shift record are all evidence. Cases are regularly decided on exactly this kind of material.

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.