[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"advice-en-employment-contract-types":3},{"slug":4,"title":5,"excerpt":6,"body":7,"datePublished":8,"dateModified":8},"employment-contract-types","Types of employment contract 2026: trial, fixed-term or permanent","Employment contracts compared: 1–3-month trial, 33-month and 3-contract limit, exceptions, notice periods, choosing the right contract for 2026.","\u003Cp>The Labour Code recognises three types of employment contract (umowa o pracę): trial-period, fixed-term and permanent (open-ended). Replacement, seasonal and \"term of office\" contracts are variants of the fixed-term contract and are excluded from the general limit. The type you choose determines how long an employee can be hired on a temporary basis, how long the notice period runs and when the contract turns into a permanent one by operation of law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Comparison of the three types of employment contract\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Ctable>\n\u003Cthead>\u003Ctr>\u003Cth>Feature\u003C\u002Fth>\u003Cth>Trial period\u003C\u002Fth>\u003Cth>Fixed-term\u003C\u002Fth>\u003Cth>Permanent\u003C\u002Fth>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003C\u002Fthead>\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Purpose\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>testing qualifications before longer cooperation\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>employment for a predetermined period\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>stable, open-ended cooperation\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Maximum duration\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>3 months (shorter if a short fixed-term contract is planned next)\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>33 months in total and no more than 3 contracts with the same employee\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>none\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Notice period\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>3 working days, 1 week or 2 weeks\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>2 weeks, 1 month or 3 months, depending on length of service with the employer\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>same as for a fixed-term contract\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Reason for termination by the employer\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>does not have to be given\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>must be stated in writing\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>must be stated in writing\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Pregnancy of the employee\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>a contract longer than one month is extended until childbirth if it would otherwise end after the 3rd month of pregnancy\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>extended until childbirth on the same terms (except replacement contracts)\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>special protection against termination\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp>All three contracts give the same basic employee rights: holiday leave, at least the minimum wage, benefits from ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) and protection of working time. The differences come down mainly to job stability. A general overview of the rights and costs tied to a regular employment position is in our \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fen\u002Fadvice\u002Fwhat-is-umowa-o-prace-employment-contract\">article on the employment contract\u003C\u002Fa>; below we focus on how to match the type of contract to the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Trial period: how long it can really last\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>The maximum of 3 months is only an upper limit. If the employer plans to follow up with a fixed-term contract shorter than 6 months, the trial period can last no more than 1 month. For a planned fixed-term contract of 6 to 12 months, the limit is 2 months. These shorter periods may be extended once by up to one month if the nature of the work justifies it. The intention to conclude a further contract is written into the trial-period contract itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The parties can also agree that the trial period is extended by any leave or other justified absence, such as sickness. Without such a clause, two weeks of sick leave simply eat into the trial period. A repeat trial-period contract with the same person is only allowed when they are to perform a different type of work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Fixed-term: how to count the 33-month and 3-contract limit\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>The limit covers the total of all fixed-term contracts between the same parties. The trial period does not count towards it. Two thresholds apply at the same time, and crossing either one converts the contract:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>after 33 months of combined fixed-term employment the employee is treated, from the following day, as employed on a permanent basis;\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>the fourth fixed-term contract becomes a permanent contract by operation of law from the day it is signed.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>An annex extending an ongoing fixed-term contract is treated as the conclusion of another contract. This is a common trap: an employer who has twice \"merely extended\" the first contract already has three contracts on record.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3>Contracts excluded from the limit\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>The limit does not apply to fixed-term contracts concluded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Col>\n\u003Cli>to replace an employee during a justified absence (for example, parental leave);\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>for casual or seasonal work;\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>for a term of office;\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>when the employer identifies objective reasons on their own side.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Fol>\n\u003Cp>The exclusion only works where the contract genuinely matches a temporary need. In the fourth case, the employer must notify the regional labour inspector of the conclusion of the contract and its reasons within 5 working days. It is worth writing the purpose of such a contract into its wording so it can be easily shown during any inspection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Termination: how the contracts differ\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>For a trial period, notice is 3 working days (trial up to 2 weeks), 1 week (trial longer than 2 weeks) or 2 weeks (3-month trial). For fixed-term and permanent contracts, the notice period depends on length of service with that employer: 2 weeks for employment shorter than 6 months, 1 month from 6 months, 3 months from 3 years. Periods counted in weeks end on Saturday; those counted in months end on the last day of the month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An employer terminating a fixed-term or permanent contract must state a specific reason in writing and inform the employee of the right to appeal to the labour court. In practice this means a fixed-term contract is no longer \"easier to terminate\" than a permanent one: the main difference is that it ends on its own when the term expires.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>How to choose the contract: three typical scenarios\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>New hire for a permanent role.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Usually a 3-month trial period, then straight into a permanent contract, or one fixed-term contract as additional cover.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>An 8-month project.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Trial period of up to 2 months (the intention to conclude a 6–12 month contract must be written in), followed by a fixed-term contract until the end of the project.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Cover for an employee on parental leave.\u003C\u002Fstrong> A fixed-term replacement contract, with the purpose and the person being replaced indicated. It is excluded from the limit and is not extended until childbirth if the replacement herself becomes pregnant.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>Before the employee starts work, the contract should be signed in writing, or at the very least its terms should be confirmed to the employee in writing. Within 7 days the employer also provides information on working-time norms and daily\u002Fweekly hours, breaks and other conditions of employment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>What about civil-law contracts?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>The mandate contract (umowa zlecenie) and the specific-task contract (umowa o dzieło) are not employment contracts and are not governed by the Labour Code. However, they cannot be used interchangeably with a regular job: if a person works under direction, at a place and time set by the principal, that is an employment relationship regardless of what the contract is called. We discuss the rules for mandate contracts in our \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fen\u002Fadvice\u002Fwhat-is-umowa-zlecenie-mandate-contract\">article on umowa zlecenie\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>How Good Balance can help\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>As part of our \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fen\u002Fservices\u002Fhr\u002Femployees\">HR support\u003C\u002Fa> we draft employment contracts, keep track of the fixed-term limits, notification and notice deadlines, and maintain personnel files. If you are planning a new employment structure or you are unsure whether a given contract falls within the exceptions to the limit, we invite you to our \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fen\u002Fservices\u002Fhr\u002Fadvicing\">HR advisory service\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>","2026-10-09"]