Termination by mutual agreement in Poland: what to check before signing

Your manager calls you into the office, puts a sheet of paper on the desk and says: "Sign this, it'll be easier for everyone." The sheet says rozwiązanie umowy o pracę na mocy porozumienia stron. Whether it really is easier depends on a few lines hardly anyone reads at that moment.

A common belief is that leaving by mutual agreement is the safest way out, because "nobody is firing anybody". In fact it's the most flexible way, not the safest. By signing, you voluntarily give up your notice period — and often some of the money you could expect from an ordinary dismissal initiated by the employer.

How porozumienie differs from wypowiedzenie

With wypowiedzenie (notice), the contract ends after a set period — two weeks to three months depending on how long you've worked there. You're paid throughout, and if the employer gives notice, you also get days off to look for work. With porozumienie, the parties choose the date. It can be tomorrow.

The key point: the agreement only works if both sides agree. You can't be forced to sign it. You can say "I'll think about it until tomorrow", take a copy and get advice.

It also works the other way round: an employee wants to leave sooner than the notice period allows — say, because a new job starts on the first of the month. Then porozumienie really is the best option, and employers often agree to it.

Five things the document should contain

• End date. A specific date, not "as agreed". It determines your last day of ZUS insurance.
• Initiator. Who proposed ending the contract — employee or employer. The labour office will look at this line later.
• Reason. If the reason is redundancy, restructuring or closure, the document should say "z przyczyn niedotyczących pracownika".
• Holiday. Whether you'll use your remaining holiday before the end date or get ekwiwalent in cash.
• Money. Final salary, bonus for the period worked, severance pay — if it's due or agreed.

Severance pay: when it's due

Odprawa isn't a gift — it's mandatory in companies with at least 20 employees when a contract ends for reasons not related to the employee. That includes porozumienie if the employer took the initiative. The amount depends on your length of service at the company:

• under 2 years — one month's pay;
• 2 to 8 years — two months' pay;
• over 8 years — three months' pay.

If the document says the termination was your initiative, forget about odprawa. That's why the wording is worth reading twice.

What happens to unemployment benefit

If you plan to register at the labour office (urząd pracy), the wording matters here too. When a contract ends by agreement on the employee's initiative, zasiłek dla bezrobotnych usually starts not immediately but after 90 days. If the employer initiated it for reasons unrelated to you, there's no delay. Check the exact rules with your urząd pracy: a new labour market act has applied since 2025.

For foreigners: residence card and status

• Karta pobytu based on work. Losing your job doesn't cancel the card automatically, but you must notify the voivode within 15 working days. You then have time to find a new employer — check the details at your urząd wojewódzki.
• UKR status. For Ukrainian citizens with special status, dismissal itself doesn't change the status, but a new employer must notify the labour office about hiring you.
• Future applications. Termination documents will be needed when applying for a residence or resident card — to prove employment and income.

After signing: what you must receive

On the last day of the contract the employer issues a świadectwo pracy — an employment certificate. It shows your period of work, contract type, holiday used and how the contract ended. Check that it matches what you signed. You have 14 days from receipt to request a correction.

Checklist before signing porozumienie

• Time. Don't sign on the spot — ask for a copy and a day to think.
• Date. Make sure it's specific and suits you.
• Initiative. Check who is named as initiator and what reason is given.
• Holiday. Count your remaining days and write down how they'll be settled.
• Money. Ask for the severance amount to be written in, if it's due.
• Documents. Agree when you'll get your świadectwo pracy and PIT-11.