Świadectwo pracy: the Polish employment certificate explained

When the employer must issue it

The duty comes from Article 97 of the Polish Labour Code. You receive a świadectwo pracy when an employment contract (umowa o pracę) ends: by notice, by mutual agreement, at the end of a fixed term or when it expires. The only exception is when the employer signs another employment contract with you within 7 days.

The certificate should be handed to you on your last day of work. If that is impossible, the employer has 7 days to send or deliver it. Only an employment contract gives you the right to a świadectwo pracy. With a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenie) or a contract for specific work (umowa o dzieło) you can ask for an ordinary certificate of the period of cooperation instead.

What it contains

• the period of employment and the working hours (full time or part time),
• the positions you held,
• the type of contract and how it ended,
• information needed to establish your rights, such as holiday days used,
• at your request, also your pay and the qualifications you gained.

The certificate does not assess your work. If you want to show a future employer how you worked, ask for a reference letter. Our guide on employer references explains how.

What to check as soon as you get it

You only have 14 days to ask for a correction, so read the certificate the same day and compare it with your contract, any annexes and your last payslips. Look especially at:

• The dates of employment, from the first to the last day of the contract.
• Working hours: full time or part time, for example half time.
• Job titles: all of them, if they changed during your employment.
• How the contract ended: who ended it and how, for example by mutual agreement or by your notice.
• Holiday: how many days you used in the year the contract ends.

A mistake in the certificate: asking for a correction

1. You have 14 days from receiving the certificate to ask the employer, in writing or electronically, to correct it.
2. The employer has 7 days to reply. If they agree, they issue a new certificate.
3. If they refuse, you have 14 days from the notice of refusal to file a claim for correction with the labour court.

The deadlines are short and run in calendar days, so check the certificate as soon as you get it. The most common mistakes concern the dates of employment, the way the contract ended and the number of holiday days.

A lost certificate or a company that no longer exists

If you lose your certificate, ask your former employer for a copy. When a company has closed, its staff records are usually kept by a records custodian, whom you can trace through the state archives or ZUS. Employment certificates matter later for your pension and when you register at a labour office in Poland.

The employment certificate and your CV

You do not attach employment certificates to a CV unless an employer asks for them. They are useful when writing one, though: they give you exact dates and job titles. Recruiters increasingly check whether the dates in a CV match the documents, so copy them from your certificates.

For how to lay out your experience clearly, see how to write a CV. If you are leaving a job, also read about resignation notice.

Ready-to-copy template

The request goes to a Polish employer, so it is in Polish. Fill in the brackets and send it within 14 days of receiving the certificate.

[Miejscowość], [data]

[Imię i nazwisko]
[Adres]

[Nazwa pracodawcy]
[Adres pracodawcy]

Wniosek o sprostowanie świadectwa pracy

Na podstawie art. 97 § 2(1) Kodeksu pracy wnoszę o sprostowanie świadectwa pracy wydanego mi dnia [data otrzymania] w zakresie:
[np. okresu zatrudnienia: jest od 01.03.2023 do 31.08.2025, powinno być od 01.02.2023 do 31.08.2025].

Uzasadnienie: [np. umowa o pracę z dnia 01.02.2023].

Proszę o wydanie nowego świadectwa pracy uwzględniającego powyższą zmianę.

[Podpis]

Frequently asked questions