Training leave

Labour Code art. 102-1036

Art. 17 of the Labour Code states that employer is obliged to support employees in advancing her/his vocational qualifications. Official commentary to the changes in the Labour Code related to art. 103 (regarding training and traning leave) states that legal regulation of traning leave is necessary taking into consideration the need to comply with international legal regulations signed by Poland (ILO Convention no 140 1974). This Convention put an obligation on employers to grant paid training to the employees who participate in training.

The rationale of the training leave in Poland is to enable employee to prepare to the exams (types of exams which entitles to training leave, are listed in the Labour Code) at the end of training. So the factors are mainly economic (employer covers the salary during the training leave) and labour market oriented – better matching skills to the needs of employers.

Department of Labour Law in the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is only responsible for introducing amendments in legal regulations.
No government bodies and agencies are involved in operation of training leave in Poland.
All details with regard to training and training leave are listed in the training contract signed by the employer and employee (learner).

Employees with all types of employment contracts

Employees working in a specific economic sector or profession: teachers, lawyers, doctors, policemen, soldiers, intelligence officers, firemen, government security officers

Secondary (ISCED 2-3) and post-secondary non-tertiary (ISCED 4) general education and VET, higher education (ISCED 5); certified (not related to ISCED classification) continuing general education and CVET.

Employer, employee

In case of paid training leave, employee's salary is covered in 100% by the employer; other costs (e.g. tuition fees, travel and accommodation, learning materials) may be covered by the employer, but it is a matter of agreement between the learner and the employer.

Training leave duration:
6 days - applicable to employee taking: exams to which an employee prepares by himself, outside the school; maturity exam; exam confirming vocational qualifications;
21 days - applicable to employees who are preparing their BA or MA thesis and are taking exams at the last year of studies (tertiary education).

Specific arrangement

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Kryńska E. (ed.) (2013), Instruments supporting continuing education of employees, Institute of Labour and Social Studies, Warsaw: http://ksiegarnia.ipiss.com.pl/index.php?nr_rok=0413 – report presenting results of field research about the use of training leave

http://www.eures.praca.gov.pl/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=arti…

http://www.mpips.gov.pl/prawo-pracy/zmiany-kodeksu-pracy/zmiany-obowiaz…

Labour Code; http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/Download?id=WDU19740240141&type=3

Website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy; http://www.mpips.gov.pl/prawo-pracy/zmiany-kodeksu-pracy/zmiany-obowiaz…