Poland's new anti-mobbing labour laws took effect on Thursday, tightening the definition of workplace harassment and setting a minimum compensation of 28,836 zł while excluding workers on civil contracts.
The revised Labour Code focuses on "persistent harassment," defined as repeated, recurring or constant behavior. A single incident generally does not qualify. The law lists examples such as humiliation, intimidation, ridicule, isolation and obstructing communication. Criticism of work or enforcing duties is not automatically treated as mobbing.
Victims can now claim at least six times the minimum wage for psychological and physical harm. The minimum is 28,836 zł in 2026, rising to 29,700 zł on January 1, 2027. They can also seek separate damages for financial losses such as medical costs or lost income.
All employers must prevent mobbing, but those with at least ten staff face new obligations. They must establish anti-mobbing procedures, rules and schedules by May 5, 2027, unless already covered by collective agreements or workplace regulations.
The changes do not cover workers on civil law contracts such as zlecenie or dzieło agreements. The "Można Lepiej!" Foundation petitioned the Sejm, Poland's lower house of parliament, to extend protection to all workers regardless of contract type.
Krzysztof Kwarciak, the foundation's president, said that as a result, victims of harassment are divided into "better and worse" categories and psychological violence at work is not treated equally.
Reports of workplace mistreatment are rising. The State Labour Inspection received about 1,500 mobbing complaints in the first half of 2026, up 7.8 percent from a year earlier. In all of 2025, it received 2,626 complaints, up 34 percent from 2024.
Courts upheld only 44 worker claims in full or in part across 692 district court and 262 regional court cases in 2025. The inspection found only 129 of the 2025 complaints justified.
A 2026 survey by Grupa Progres found that 46 percent of companies lack a code of ethics or anti-mobbing procedures. The survey also found that 49 percent of employees cite poor relations with their boss as a reason for leaving.
Magda Dąbrowska, the group's president, said the line between demanding management and improper treatment of an employee is not always clear to organizations, adding that criticism should concern work, not human dignity.
