Short work week? Interest exceeded the government’s expectations
The pilot of the shortened working time is very popular. Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk admitted that the number of applications was surprised by the ministry.
The pilot of the shortened working time arouses more and more emotions. As the head of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk informed, by mid-September about 700 complete applications from employers were received, and another 1900 is in the process of preparing. “Interest has exceeded our expectations,” she emphasized on TVN24.
Pilot program
Recruitment for the program started on August 14 and will last until September 15. Employers who report to the pilot do not have to use one imposed working time model. They can choose between the introduction of a four -day work week, shortening the number of hours a day – e.g. to seven or six – or, if the specificity of the industry does not allow it, extending holiday leaves.
The minister emphasized that the initiative is of a research nature and will allow the experience of employees, entrepreneurs and employers. In her opinion, the introduction of a shorter working time to Polish law will be a “next civilization step”. Dziemianowicz-Bąk argued that this is forcing demographic changes-there are more and more elderly on the labor market who need more time to regenerate.
Revolution on the labor market
She also pointed to the technological revolution: automation, robotization and development of artificial intelligence make you work shorter, maintaining or even increasing efficiency.
The pilot was divided into three stages. The first, preparatory, will last until December 31, 2025. The second, covering real tests in workplaces, will start on January 1, 2026 and end on December 31 of the same year. The third stage is the summary of the project, which will end at the latest on May 15, 2027. Until then, employers participating in the pilot will have to provide reports and quarterly surveys from employees and companies.
Currently, according to the Labor Code in Poland, an average 40-hour work week applies to five days, with an eight-hour business day. The pilot is to check what effects will change this standard.
