These periods are included in the length of service, even for the purposes of company benefits (arising from internal regulations and policies), and not only statutory entitlements.<\/p>\n
An employer is not required to ask employees to provide evidence of any additional periods of activity that qualify for inclusion, although it may do so. It is the employees\u2019 responsibility to demonstrate their entitlement.<\/p>\n
For employees who report additional qualifying periods, this means that their length of service must be recalculated. Depending on the type of activity, the relevant evidence will primarily include certificates issued by the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), and in some cases other documents, e.g. documents confirming a contract of mandate performed by a student or employment abroad. Overlapping periods are not added together; only one of the overlapping periods is taken into account.<\/p>\n
When determining the overall length of service<\/strong>, periods of employment with all employers are taken into account. This is relevant, among other things, when determining an employee\u2019s annual leave entitlement. Following the legislative changes, the overall length of service also includes the additional periods specified in the regulations (e.g. contracts of mandate), provided that they are properly documented by the employee.<\/p>\n When determining the length of service with a particular employer<\/strong>, only periods of employment with that employer are taken into account. This is relevant, among other things, when determining the notice period for a fixed-term or indefinite-term employment contract, or the amount of severance pay upon the termination of employment.<\/p>\n Some employers have internal regulations under which an employee\u2019s entitlement to specific benefits depends on having worked for a specified period (e.g. a long-service award or seniority allowance). A longer period of service may also, therefore, affect these entitlements. To determine the impact in a particular case, the specific provisions of the employer\u2019s internal regulations should be analysed.<\/p>\n Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n According to the information held by the employer, an employee had not acquired the right to a long-service award in 2025.<\/p>\n In May 2026, after the new regulations entered into force, the employee provided documents confirming an additional period of professional activity that is now included in the length of service.<\/p>\n After taking this period into account, it turned out that the employee had actually reached the required length of service for the award as early as November of the previous year.<\/p>\n However, the employee acquires the right to the award in May \u2013 i.e. when the additional period of service is documented \u2013 even though the required period of service had in fact elapsed in November 2025.<\/p>\n The award is therefore paid in May, without any adjustment or interest for the period from November onwards.<\/p>\n In connection with the new rules for determining length of service, we recommend:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n