Employment certificate (świadectwo pracy): what it contains

The foreign worker's employment certificate (świadectwo pracy) is the same document every employee on an employment contract (umowa o pracę) receives: it confirms the period of employment and leave used. Your next employer uses it to calculate your work history, and your leave entitlement depends on that history.

The employer issues it at the end of the employment contract, without your request. Under a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenia), no employment certificate is issued.

What the employment certificate contains

The certificate is a form with an official template, so it has the same fields at every employer:

• the period of employment and the working time dimension (full time or a fraction of it),
• the type of work performed or the positions held,
• the mode and basis of termination or expiry of the contract,
• the number of leave days used in the year the contract ended,
• non-contributory periods, for example sick leave,
• information about wage garnishment by a bailiff (komornik), if there was any.

The certificate contains no assessment of your work. It is not a reference: the employer cannot enter an opinion about your conduct or the quality of your work in it. You can ask for an opinion separately, but the employer has no obligation to issue one.

When the employer must issue the certificate

Under an employment contract, the certificate is issued on the day the contract ends. When it cannot be handed over in person, the employer sends it by post or delivers it another way within a short statutory deadline.

Under an employment contract, issuing the certificate does not depend on final settlements between the parties.

When you do not have the certificate, contact the employer.

What to do if there is an error in the certificate

Check the document as soon as you receive it. You have a short deadline, counted from the day you received the certificate, to request a correction.

Two entries matter most at the next employer:

You submit the request in writing to the employer who issued the certificate, stating the entry and how it should read. If you work through Amer, start by talking to the coordinator.

How the work history from the certificate affects leave

The new employer determines your leave entitlement based on employment certificates from previous jobs, your school diploma and other documents confirming your work history, so without them they may calculate a lower entitlement for you. The work history thresholds are described in the text about annual leave entitlement and leave equivalent.

The leave entry works both ways. When you change jobs during the year, the new employer calculates leave proportionally to your period of employment with them, and deducts any days used beyond that proportion at the previous employer. That is why the number of leave days used on the certificate must be accurate. Unused leave at the end of an employment contract is usually settled with a cash equivalent, unless you agree with the same employer to use it under the next contract.

The length of the notice period depends on your tenure with the current employer, not on certificates from previous companies, as described in the text about terminating a contract and notice periods.

Employment certificate for a foreign worker employed through an agency

Under an employment contract with a temporary work agency, the employer is the agency, so it is the agency, not the plant where you physically worked, that issues the employment certificate. Under a contract of mandate with an agency, there is no certificate; you can ask for a confirmation of the cooperation period instead. Keep your contracts and that confirmation, and ask your new employer which documents they will take into account when calculating your work history.

Certificates are also useful outside a new job: in pension matters and in some residence proceedings, where the period of work in Poland must be shown. Scan each one and keep a copy off your phone. You can browse further job offers for foreigners even before your last day under the current contract.

Frequently asked questions

Will I get an employment certificate under a contract of mandate?

No. An employment certificate is issued only after an employment contract. Under a contract of mandate you can ask for a confirmation of the period the contract was performed.

Do I have to request the employment certificate?

Under an employment contract, no. The employer issues it on their own when the contract ends. When you have not received the document, contact the employer, and if you work through Amer, the coordinator.

Can a lost employment certificate be recovered?

Yes, you ask the employer who issued it for a copy, since they keep one in your personnel file. A scan kept off your phone means you have the document on hand right away.

This text describes the general rules. What you are entitled to depends on your type of contract: an employment contract (umowa o pracę) or a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenie). Your own contract and payslip are what count.

This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The rules change, and the outcome depends on the situation of the particular person, so check the current legal position or consult a lawyer before making a decision.