Minimum wage 2026 will be PLN 5070. The wage shock in Poland is coming!

From January 2026 in Poland they will enter into force unprecedented changes in remunerationwhich can turn both worker finances and company balance sheets upside down. According to the fresh minimum wage setting mechanism, the lowest remuneration in the country will be up to PLN 5070 gross, or about PLN 3800 per hand. What's more, employers will no longer be able to include allowancessuch as bonuses, bonuses or prizes – It must be a pure salary.. This improvement is the consequence of the implementation of the EU directive, not only puts Poland in the vanguard of European wage reforms, but besides poses a serious hazard to the labour market.

A clash with reality: can companies handle it?

New model for setting minimum wage – as 55% of forecast average wage – means that the lowest wage in Poland will depend on the overall level of earnings in the economy. In 2026 the national average is expected to be PLN 9219 grosswhich translates into the mentioned PLN 5070 gross minimum wage. But that's not all. fresh provisions charge minimum wage not only with basic salary, but besides with hourly rate.

That means:

• Each worker must gain at least PLN 5070 gross per period on the basis.
• The hourly rate will besides increase – proportionally to the minimum salary.
• Employers can no longer supplement the low base with additiveswhich was a common practice before.

For low-paid industriessuch as catering, trade or servicesCould be a blow to the foundation of the business. Companies are already informing present that raising labour costs at this rate will lead to:

• job cuts,
• growth in black employment
• accelerated automation – self-service cash registers, robotization of production,
• shifting costs to consumers – 2026 can be even worse than 2022-2023.

In turn for employees It's a clear improvement. Increase of minimum wage to over 5000 PLN gross means:

• over PLN 700 more than in 2025when the lowest national is PLN 4242 gross,
• greater financial stability,
• real chances of raising savings,
• better access to loans and benefits.

But there is besides a trap – employers can:

• reduce bonuses and benefits,
• freeze promotions and increases for another employeesto keep a wage balance,
• move production abroadwhere labour costs are lower.

Punishment up to PLN 45 1000 for cheating employees

The fresh rules presume drastic sanctions for employers who neglect to comply. Companies which will pay below the statutory minimum wage – regardless of whether it is simply a contract of employment, contract or work – may number for:

• fine from PLN 1500 to PLN 45,000, depending on the scale of the infringements,
• PIP and ZUS controlswhich are to be much more frequent,
• the request to pay outstanding benefits with interest.

In addition:

• payment of remuneration for the minimum hourly rate must scope a maximum of 10 days the following month,
• Any form of employment, even civilian law, must respect the fresh minimum threshold.

This means the end of creative accounting and fictional agreements – at least in theory. In practice, many employers can combine with working hours, responsibilities or fictitious self-employmentTo get around the rules.

Macroeconomic impact: increase or provocation?

Economists warnthat specified a drastic increase in minimum wage can bring Domino effect throughout the economy. affirmative effects include:

• Increase in consumption – Poles from lower income classes spend more of their income, which can drive the economy,
• increased gross to ZUS and NFZ – thanks to higher contributions,
• increase in pension benefits in the future.

But at the same time, 1 should expect:

• inflationary pressure – wage increases → cost increases → price increases → failure of purchasing power,
• worsening competitiveness of Polish companies, especially those exported,
• Investment inhibitions, peculiarly in SMEs with limited financial reserves.

It is worth noting that with current demographic trends – an ageing society, deficiency of hands to work – advanced minimum wages can push even more young and educated Poles abroad, where the difference in wages remains colossal. For comparison:

• in France, the minimum gross wage is about EUR 1766 per period (more than PLN 7600),
• Germany 1995 euro (over 8500 zł).

Although comparatively Poland makes up for the distance, it is inactive for the mobile individual It's more profitable to leave. Not to fight for all buck in the country.

So will minimum wage improvement aid workers, or will it bury Polish business?

This question divides experts, trade unions and business organisations. The government argues that the fresh regulations are necessary for equalising opportunities and combating labour poverty. Critics say it's populist pre-election movementwhich in the long word blow the financial foundations of thousands of companies and will lead to a wave of redundancies.

One thing is certain: The wage shock of 2026 will change everything – from the way of hiring, through the structure of salaries, to prices in shops and the standard of surviving of Poles.