It will be a good year for Polish employees. From 1 January 2020, the minimum wage for work increased to PLN 2,600, which is PLN 350 more than in the previous year. 

– In total, the minimum wage has increased by PLN 850 since 2015. These are truly significant amounts. Employees must be fairly remunerated. The increase in the minimum wage translates into the increases of wages in general, which is very good news – says Marlena Maląg, Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy. 
The hourly minimum wage introduced in 2017 (specific civil law contracts) also increased along with the minimum wage. At the time of its introduction, it reflected PLN 13.00, today it is PLN 17.00. 

There are more changes.

From 1 January 2020, the seniority allowance is not included in the minimum wage. – So far, an employee with longer seniority earning the national minimum wage could have had a lower basic salary than a newly recruited person with a much lower or zero seniority doing the same job. Such a situation made the seniority allowance a fiction not fulfilling its function, which is to motivate and to appreciate the experience. All this is changing today – emphasises Marlena Maląg. 

The changes mainly concern employees of the public sector and its employers, who are required by law to pay such an allowance.