PRO HR Year Book 2025

We discuss current and practical issues in the area of our main practices: employment law, business crime & compliance, immigration & global mobility, litigation, employment taxes, remuneration (comp & ben), occupational health and safety, personal data protection, as well as diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI).


In 2025, Poland took significant steps towards implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive (the “Directive”) into domestic law.

The length of service under an employment contract is important when determining certain employee entitlements. In October 2025, provisions were published (which entered into force on 1 January 2026) aimed at counting periods of work performed on a basis other than an employment relationship towards the overall length of service, or company
length of service.

Legislative work is under way on an amendment to the Labour Code introducing significant changes in the area of equal treatment, the protection of personal rights and preventing mobbing. In October 2025, a further, substantially revised version of the bill was published, clearly tightening employers’ liability regime and strengthening the procedural position of employees.

Over the past several months, debate regarding the reform of the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP) has continually resurfaced, gaining and losing momentum in equal measure. Some time ago, however, media headlines have described it as “on hold” or “frozen”.

Although the government withdrew the proposed amendment to the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP), this does not mean that nothing will change in its operations in 2026. In recent months, a shift has already been visible in the approach to how inspections are carried out and how consequences are imposed on employers. These changes will continue, as they do not require legislative amendments.

In terms of reforming immigration law, 2025 was only a warm-up. Last year showed that the proposals set out in the 2025–2030 migration strategy have gradually begun to take shape through new legal regulations.

An employee subject to special protection (e.g. an employee of pre-retirement age or a trade union activist) may obtain an interim measure securing a claim for reinstatement by obtaining an order for their continued employment for the duration of the proceedings. This does not, however, cover change notices.

The introduction of remote work has radically changed how employees and employers cooperate. Organisations moved from a model of constant, daily in-office contact to one in which an employee may never communicate with the employer in any way other than via digital communication channels. However, such communication has not always been straightforward, because the legal framework previously in force in the Labour Code and in implementing regulations often required written form for various employment-law actions. As a result, making binding declarations required a traditional exchange of correspondence between employer and employee, via a postal operator or courier.

In June 2025, the Polish data protection authority (UODO) imposed a record fine of PLN 16,932,657 on a personal data controller (an employer). The employer had entrusted the processing of employee personal data to an external company in order to manage work schedules. The lack of a risk analysis for this process, the failure to implement appropriate safeguards and the failure to enforce the provisions of the data processing agreement led to the disclosure of personal data in a publicly accessible directory. As a result of an error, employees’ personal data – including high-risk data such as PESEL numbers and passport numbers – became accessible to unauthorised entities.

There are currently four generations present in the labour market: the Baby Boomers (1946–1964, with many already retired), Generation X (1965–1980), Generation Y (Millennials, 1981–1996), and Generation Z (born after 1997). In a few years, representatives of the youngest Alpha generation will start working in companies – this is a consequence of current demographic trends.

Autorzy

Łukasz Kuczkowski

Managing Partner / Attorney-at-law / Executive MBA

Since 2003, Łukasz has been supporting clients in the People & Culture area, in particular in the field of labour law, social security, compliance and forms of employee pension security.

In particular Łukasz specialises in:

  • hiring and firing of managers,
  • workforce restructuring, including collective redundancies,
  • collective bargaining agreements,
  • relations with trade unions,
  • employee pension provision (ECSs, EPPs, etc.),
  • employee compliance,
  • countering mobbing and discrimination.

Piotr Graczyk

Advocate / Partner

Since the beginning of 2014, Piotr has been supporting clients in the People & Culture area, in particular in the field of labour law and social security.

In particular Piotr specialises in:

  • strategic planning regarding the defence against employee claims,
  • advice on dismissals (including collective dismissals),
  • litigation of employment claims,
  • litigation in cases involving appeals against the Social Security Institution’s decisions,
  • implementation of procedures against mistreatment,
  • conducting internal investigations regarding mobbing, discrimination and other forms of mistreatment,
  • relations with trade unions.

Co-manages the firm’s litigation practice.

Piotr Lewandowski

Attorney-at-law / Partner

Since the beginning of 2010, Piotr has been supporting clients in the People & Culture area, in particular in the field of labour law and social security.

In particular Piotr specialises in:

  • preparation of internal acts, e.g. labour, remuneration and bonus rules and regulations,
  • advice and drafting of redundancy documents,
  • litigation of employment claims,
  • implementation of procedures against mistreatment,
  • conducting internal investigations regarding mobbing, discrimination and other forms of mistreatment,
  • relations with trade unions.

Co-manages the firm’s litigation practice.

Damian Tokarczyk, PhD

Advocate / Of counsel / Doctor of law

Damian has been dealing with criminal procedure law since 2013, representing suspects/defendants and victims before law enforcement agencies and courts. He has been working with Raczkowski since 2016.

In particular, Damian specialises in business criminal law (including criminal labour law) and other procedures of a similar nature. He also deals with other areas, including:

  • whistleblower protection and internal investigations,
  • administrative criminal proceedings,
  • misdemeanour proceedings,
  • inspections by the State Labour Inspectorate and other services,
  • prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing,
  • prevention of sexual offences.

Natalia Krzyżankiewicz

Advocate / Senior Lawyer

Since 2016, Natalia has been supporting clients in the People & Culture area, in particular in the field of labour law and social security.

In particular Natalia specialises in:

  • workforce restructuring, including collective redundancies,
  • high profile dismissals,
  • implementation of internal policies and regulations,
  • litigation.

Katarzyna Wilczyk

Attorney-at-law / Senior Lawyer

Since 2012, Katarzyna has been supporting clients in the People & Culture area, in particular in the field of labour law and social security.

In particular Katarzyna specialises in:

  • individual employment law,
  • countering mobbing and discrimination, including investigating mobbing and other undesirable behaviour in the workplace,
  • ongoing support for employers in the field of Compensation & Benefits,
  • litigation and disputes with the Social Security Institution (ZUS),
  • legal due diligence.

Michalina Kaczmarczyk

Attorney-at-law / Senior Lawyer

Since 2015, Michalina has been supporting clients in the People & Culture area, in particular in the field of labour law, personal data and copyright law.

In particular Michalina specialises in:

  • conducting cases before the Personal Data Protection Office,
  • litigation,
  • ongoing advice in the area of personal data protection,
  • supporting diversity in the workplace,
  • countering mobbing and discrimination.

Zuzanna Rosner

Attorney-at-law / Senior Lawyer Account Manager

Since 2011, Zuzanna has been supporting clients in the People & Culture area, in particular in the field of labour law and social security.

In particular Zuzanna specialises in:

  • hiring and dismissal of staff, including managers,
  • implementation of global and local regulations and policies,
  • workforce restructuring, including collective redundancies,
  • parental entitlements,
  • countering mobbing and discrimination,
  • supporting diversity in the workplace.

Rafał Jaroszyński

Attorney-at-law / Senior Lawyer

Since 2003, Rafał has been supporting clients in the area of People & Culture, particularly in matters of individual and collective labour law and social security.

Rafał specialises in particular in:

  • relations with trade unions,
  • supporting clients in mediations and negotiations with employee representatives,
  • collective labour agreements,
  • the Company Social Benefits Fund and other forms of employee benefits,
  • designing internal sources of employment law (by-laws, procedures, agreements),
  • workforce restructurings, including collective redundancies,
  • preventing bullying and discrimination,
  • working time,
  • social security,
  • preventing bullying and discrimination.

Joanna Stolarek

Tax Advisor / Senior Lawyer

Since 2004, Joanna has been supporting clients in People & Culture, with a particular focus on personal income tax, social security and health insurance.

Member of the Tax Council of the Polish Confederation Lewiatan. Joanna serves as a Board Advisor of the „Remuneration Institute” Association, of which Raczkowski Law Firm is a strategic partner.

Monika Czekanowicz

Attorney-at-law / Lawyer

Since 2013, Monika has been supporting clients in the People & Culture area, in particular in the field of labour law and social security, and occupational health and safety.

In particular Monika specialises in:

  • implementation of occupational health and safety management systems,
  • implementation of fire protection projects,
  • development of accident prevention, in particular premedical first aid procedures,
  • supporting diversity in the workplace,
  • countering mobbing and discrimination,
  • workforce restructuring, including collective redundancies.

Julia Bichta

Immigration Consultant

Julia assists clients in the field of immigration law, particularly in the area of legalisation of stay and work of foreigners, and employers in the field of international employee mobility.

She is studying law at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw.