Recent changes to labor laws

On January 7, 2026, the President signed the Act of December 4, 2025, amending the Act, the Labor Code and the Act on the Social Benefits Fund.

The purpose of the Act (as stated in the justification for the draft) is to simplify and organize certain regulations of the Labor Code regarding, among others:

• the use of electronic form for selected labor law activities
• the deadline for payment of compensation for unused vacation leave

The Act also amends the Act on the Social Benefits Fund (ZFŚS) regarding staff representation.

Digital revolution in the employer-employee relationship

The Act provides for the possibility of using electronic form for selected activities in the field of labor law. This solution covers only those activities that are explicitly indicated in the Act. In their case, both the employer and the employee will be able to decide whether a given activity will be performed in paper or electronic form.

This should be considered a positive change, adapting the law to current technological progress.

Indeed, it is hard to deny that more and more professional matters are taking place online, remote recruitment, communication with employees via social messengers, or remote work and hybrid work themselves. Allowing the circulation of certain documents in electronic form will therefore lead to the simplification and acceleration of certain procedures, which will also translate into reduced administrative costs.

This solution will additionally facilitate the archiving of employee documentation and increase its accessibility, providing both employees and employers with a certain degree of convenience and the ability to perform legal actions not only faster but also from any location.

Closed catalog: 8 activities you can now handle online

The possibility of choosing the electronic form, although extremely helpful, is still limited. The Act introduces only a series of exhaustively listed activities to which the change will apply. These include:

• providing information about monitoring to the employee;
• informing employees about the conditions of the transfer of a workplace to another employer;
• consulting the intention to terminate an employment contract with the workplace trade union organization and the submission of any objections by it;
• preparing an employee’s work schedule along with related applications;
• submitting applications regarding special work systems, such as a shortened work week or weekend work;
• submitting an application for time off for overtime hours worked;
• submitting an application for unpaid leave;
• confirmation of employees’ familiarization with Health and Safety (BHP) regulations.

Activities other than those listed above remain unchanged regarding their permitted form. The question arises, will the legislator aim to expand this catalog? We will closely monitor subsequent government projects in the context of the possible progression of the amendment’s assumptions.

Changes in deadlines for vacation compensation payment

Along with the amendment, the provisions of the Labor Code regarding the payment of compensation for unused leave have been clarified. It was indicated that the payment of cash compensation is to take place on the terms of salary payment. This means it should take place at least once a month, on a fixed and predetermined date.

If the salary payment deadline falls before the day of termination or expiration of the employment relationship, the payment of the cash compensation is to take place within 10 days from that date. Conversely, if the payment date set in this way is a non-working day, the compensation is to be paid on the day preceding that day.

Changes in the Act on the Social Benefits Fund (ZFŚS)

Furthermore, the regulations regarding staff representation in matters concerning the Social Benefits Fund (ZFŚS) have been organized.

The changes essentially mean that the employer must agree on the remuneration regulations and the regulations regarding the terms and conditions for using services and benefits financed from the Fund with at least two staff representatives. Previously, these consultations took place with only one representative.

New standards from January 27: Summary of key labor law changes

The Act was announced on January 12, 2026, which means that it entered into force on January 27, 2026, and constitutes the regulations currently in effect.

The introduction of the possibility of using electronic form for selected activities in the field of labor law responds to the growing digitalization of the work environment and the widespread use of remote and hybrid work.

This solution can contribute to improving communication between the employer and employees, reducing administrative formalities, and facilitating the storage and access to employee documentation.

At the same time, the scope of the introduced changes in this area remains relatively limited, as the legislator decided to cover only exhaustively indicated activities with the possibility of using electronic form.

This may suggest a cautious approach by the legislator to further digitalization of labor relations and leaves open the question of a possible expansion of this catalog in the future.

The clarified provisions regarding the deadline for payment of compensation for unused vacation leave are also of significant practical importance, as they increase the transparency of regulations and facilitate their application in practice.

In turn, the changes in the Act on the Social Benefits Fund, consisting of expanding staff representation in the process of agreeing on regulations, aim to strengthen employee participation in matters regarding the use of Fund resources.

Is this the beginning of a broader labor law modernization?

In summary, the amendment introduces solutions that organize and partially modernize existing regulations.

Although the changes are not revolutionary in nature, they represent an important step toward greater flexibility and transparency in labor law regulations, and their further development may lead to an even broader use of digital tools in employee relations in the future.

New regulations may require updates to your procedures. We encourage you to contact our labor law department at: [email protected]. We will help you prepare your company for the upcoming changes.