Holiday on umowa o pracę: 20 or 26 days and how to count yours

Oksana had worked in Poland for a year and expected 26 days of holiday — that's what friends told her. HR gave her 20. She thought she was being cheated. Then it turned out she really was entitled to 26 — she just had to bring in her college diploma.

The popular idea that 26 days go "to people who've worked in Poland a long time" isn't accurate. The threshold is 10 years of work history, but education counts towards it. For someone with a university degree, 26 days can be very close even after a year of work.

The basic rule

• 20 days a year — if your total work history is under 10 years.
• 26 days a year — if it's 10 years or more.

These are working days, not calendar days. Weekends and public holidays aren't counted. For full-time work, one day of holiday equals 8 hours.

How education adds to your work history

The period of education is added — but only one, the highest level, counts, not the sum:

• Vocational school (zasadnicza szkoła zawodowa) — up to 3 years.
• Secondary vocational school — up to 5 years.
• General secondary school — 4 years.
• Post-secondary school (policealna) — 6 years.
• Higher education — 8 years.

Example: you have a university degree (8 years) and 2 years of work — 10 in total, so 26 days. If you worked while studying, the more favourable option counts, not both periods at once.

Education obtained abroad is usually confirmed with a translated diploma. How exactly your document corresponds to a Polish level — check with HR.

Work history from other contracts and from abroad

From 2026, periods on umowa zlecenie and self-employment are also added — if you can prove them, usually with a ZUS certificate. Work abroad, including in Ukraine, may also count if you have documents. Check the specific rules for foreign work history with HR: your 20 or 26 depends on it.

Your first job ever

If it's your first job, holiday accrues gradually: 1/12 of 20 days after each month worked, about 1.67 days. You get the full allowance for the next year on 1 January. In your second and later jobs, holiday is due for the whole year at once — in proportion to the time worked that year.

Part-time and changing jobs

• Half-time — half the holiday: 10 or 13 days. Part days are rounded up.
• Changing employer — each one calculates proportionally. If you leave in April, you'll use about a third of the annual holiday with the old employer.
• Unused days from last year must be used by 30 September of the following year.

How much you're paid for a day of holiday

For holiday days you get the same pay as for working. If you have variable supplements — nights, overtime, bonuses — they're averaged over the last three months. So holiday after a few months of night shifts shouldn't be "poorer" than an ordinary month.

Ekwiwalent: when holiday is paid in cash

Holiday can only be swapped for money in one case — when the contract ends and the days weren't used. During employment the law doesn't allow you to "sell" holiday to your employer, even if you want to. So plan your rest instead of saving days for years.

How to request holiday

Usually via the holiday plan (plan urlopów) or a written request (wniosek urlopowy) with dates. The employer can refuse specific dates for business reasons, but can't refuse holiday altogether. The law also provides 4 days "on demand" (urlop na żądanie) a year within your normal allowance — you only need to report them on the day of absence.

Checklist: count your holiday

• Education. Take your translated diploma or school certificate to HR.
• Work history. Collect świadectwa pracy and ZUS certificates for all your years of work.
• Abroad. Ask whether work history from Ukraine can be counted.
• Calculation. Education + work ≥ 10 years — ask for 26 days.
• Balance. Check how many days remain from last year and use them by 30 September.
• On demand. Remember your 4 days of urlop na żądanie.