Working time in 2015

Pursuant to the provisions of the Labor Code, the working time may not exceed 8 hours a day, i.e. a total of 40 hours in an average five-day working week. The employer is obliged to prepare (for a period of at least 1 month) and provide the employee with a working time schedule at least one week before the commencement of work in a given period. Detailed rules applicable to the employer when drawing up the working time schedule can be found in Art. 129 of the Labor Code.

Working time - billing period

Usually the billing period does not exceed 4 months. However, in accordance with the regulations of the Labor Code in force since 23 August 2013, the accounting period may be extended if it is justified by objective, technical or work organization reasons, in compliance with the general rules concerning the protection of the safety and health of employees (Article 129 § 2 of the Labor Code). The extended billing period can be up to 12 months. The extension of the working time settlement period to 12 months is agreed in writing and communicated to the employees.

Calculation of the working time

The method of calculating the working time is governed by Art. 130 of the Labor Code In accordance with the above-mentioned In order to calculate the working time, you should:

• Multiply 40 hours (weekly working time) by the number of full weeks in a given reference period

• to the obtained number of hours add the product of 8 hours and the number of days remaining until the end of the billing period (without taking into account the weekend)

• reduce the working time by 8 hours for each holiday occurring in the accounting period - falling on a day other than Sunday

• reduce the working time by the number of hours of the employee's justified absence (we are talking about the hours to be worked - in accordance with the adopted working time schedule - during the absence from work)

Working time in 2015

The working time applicable in 2015, broken down into individual settlement periods, is as follows:

A twelve-month billing period

Month	Calculation of the working time	number of hours	number of days
I - XII	(40 hours x 52 weeks) + (8 hours x 1 day) - (8 hours x 9 holidays)	2 016	252

Six-month billing period

Month	Calculation of the working time	number of hours	number of days
I-VI	(40 hours x 25 weeks) + (8 hours x 4 days) - (8 hours x 5 holidays)	992	124
VII-XII	(40 hours x 26 weeks) + (8 hours x 2 days) - (8 hours x 4 holidays)	1 024	128
TOTAL		2 016	252

Four-month billing period

Month	Calculation of the working time	number of hours	number of days
I-IV	(40 hours x 17 weeks) + (8 hours x 1 day) - (8 hours x 3 holidays)	664	83
May-VIII	(40 hours x 17 weeks) + (8 hours x 2 days) - (8 hours x 3 holidays)	672	84
IX-XII	(40 hours x 17 weeks) + (8 hours x 3 days) - (8 hours x 3 holidays)	680	85
TOTAL		2 016	252

Three-month billing period

Month	Calculation of the working time	number of hours	number of days
I-III	(40 hours x 12 weeks) + (8 hours x 4 days) - (8 hours x 2 holidays)	496	62
IV-VI	(40 hours x 13 weeks) - (8 hours x 3 holidays)	496	62
VII-IX	(40 hours x 13 weeks) + (8 hours x 1 day) - (8 hours x 1 holiday)	520	65
X-XII	(40 hours x 13 weeks) + (8 hours x 1 day) - (8 hours x 3 holidays)	504	63
TOTAL		2 016	252

One-month billing period

Month	Calculation of the working time	number of hours	number of days
AND	(40 hours x 4 weeks) + (8 hours x 2 days) - (8 hours x 2 holidays)	160	20
II	(40 hours x 4 weeks)	160	20
III	(40 hours x 4 weeks) + (8 hours x 2 days)	176	22
IV	(40 hours x 4 weeks) + (8 hours x 2 days) - (8 hours x 1 holiday)	168	21
V	(40 hours x 4 weeks) + (8 hours x 1 day) - (8 hours x 1 holiday)	160	20
VI	(40 hours x 4 weeks) + (8 hours x 2 days) - (8 hours x 1 holiday)	168	21
VII	(40 hours x 4 weeks) + (8 hours x 3 days)	184	23
VIII	(40 hours x 4 weeks) + (8 hours x 1 day) - (8 hours x 1 holiday)	160	20
IX	(40 hours x 4 weeks) + (8 hours x 2 days)	176	22
X	(40 hours x 4 weeks) + (8 hours x 2 days)	176	22
XI	(40 hours x 4 weeks) + (8 hours x 1 day) - (8 hours x 1 holiday)	160	20
XII	(40 hours x 4 weeks) + (8 hours x 3 days) - (8 hours x 2 holidays)	168	21
TOTAL		2 016	252

 

The working time of a part-time employee should be determined in proportion to this part.

Working time - public holidays in 2015

The table below presents a list of public holidays in 2015.

 

Date	Day of the week	The name of the holiday
1st of January	Thursday	New Year
January 6	Tuesday	Epiphany
April 5	Sunday	Easter
April 6	Monday	Easter Monday (Śmigus-dyngus)
1 May	Friday	Labour Day
3rd of May	Sunday	Constitution Day May 3
May 24	Sunday	Pentecost (Pentecost)
June 4	Thursday	Corpus Christi
15 August	Saturday	Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
November 1	Sunday	All the saints
November 11	Wednesday	National Independence Day
25th of December	Friday	Christmas (first day)
December 26	Saturday	Christmas (second day)

 

For the holiday falling on Saturday, employees working from Monday to Friday are entitled to an additional day off in a given settlement period - in accordance with the judgment of the Constitutional Tribunal of October 2, 2012.

 

Important! In 2015, two statutory holidays fall on Saturday: August 15 - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 26 - the second day of Christmas.

 

In 2015, the employer is therefore obliged to designate 2 days off. One in the billing period covering August, the other in the billing period in December.

Continuous working time - exception

Continuous work is an exception to the determination of working time and provides for a short settlement period not exceeding four weeks.

In this case, the employer has the option to extend work per week to an average of 43 hours and to 12 hours one day - in one, two or three weeks of the settlement period. When calculating the working time in the discussed system, the number of changes planned by the employer in a given settlement period in the amount of 12 hours is taken into account. Working hours are calculated as follows:

• 8 hours should be multiplied by the number of calendar days in the settlement period (excluding Sundays, public holidays and non-working days resulting from the working time schedule in an average five-day working week)

• the number of hours corresponding to the extended weekly working time with the given employer should be added to the sum obtained