Under an employment contract, pre-employment medical exams are paid for by the employer (Article 229 of the Labour Code), and an employee keeps their wage for exam time that falls within working hours.

Who pays for pre-employment medical exams

Under an employment contract, the employer bears the cost: this applies to pre-employment, periodic and follow-up exams. If the exam falls within working hours, an employee on an employment contract keeps the right to pay for that time. Under a mandate contract (umowa zlecenia), these Labour Code rules do not apply directly, and the rules for exams depend on the contract.

When hired through a temporary work agency, the rule does not change, though the split of tasks between the agency and the workplace can differ; this is described in the article on medical exams for temporary workers.

What the referral must include

The employer issues the referral (skierowanie), not the candidate, and it must describe the position and the harmful or burdensome factors present there: noise, dust, lifting, work at height, shift work, contact with food. A certificate issued on the basis of a vague referral does not cover work with machinery or at height, because the doctor did not examine what the document did not describe. If you're not sure the referral describes your job, ask your coordinator before the visit. Documents worth gathering together with the referral are listed in the article on your first job in Poland.

How the pre-employment exam works

The exam is carried out only by an occupational medicine doctor from a facility that has a written agreement with the employer, not a family doctor or a random clinic. Depending on the position, additional tests are added: vision and hearing checks for work with machinery, laboratory tests, specialist consultations, and separate sanitary-epidemiological tests for contact with food. Everything usually fits into one visit, but a referral with many factors may need a second appointment.

Bring your ID, the referral, and information about medications you take and illnesses you have had. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, bring them too.

Is a certificate from a previous employer enough

Only when these conditions are met: the new position has the same hazard conditions, the employee has a current certificate from the previous exam, and the new employer confirms the conditions match themselves. When changing industry, hazard conditions are usually different, so the exam has to be done again.

Can you start work before the exam

An employer may not let an employee work without a current certificate confirming no contraindications, which is why the pre-employment exam is done before the first day of work. Under a mandate contract, this depends on the contract and the workplace's requirements.

What to do with a negative certificate

Not being cleared for a specific position does not mean not being cleared for work altogether: often it concerns just one factor, for example work at height. An appeal against the certificate can be filed within 7 days of receiving it, submitted through the doctor who issued it, to the voivodeship occupational medicine centre responsible for the workplace or the employer's registered office. The employee can file the appeal, and the certificate from the re-examination is final. Ask the employer who issued the referral whether they have a position without the factor that blocked clearance.

On your first day at a new job, it is worth keeping a copy of the certificate with you; other things to bring are listed in the article on your first day at a new job. With our job offers, you do not pay for pre-employment exams, they are paid for by us or by the workplace.

Frequently asked questions

How much do pre-employment medical exams cost?

There is no single official rate: prices at occupational medicine facilities vary. Under an employment contract, it does not matter to the candidate, because the employer pays for it. With our offers you do not pay for pre-employment exams, they are paid for by us.

Can a pre-employment exam be done without a referral?

No. The exam is carried out on the basis of a referral issued by the employer, describing the position and the harmful factors. Without this document, the occupational medicine facility will not carry out the preventive exam.

Does a pre-employment exam count as working time?

Under an employment contract, yes, if it falls within working hours. The employee keeps the right to pay for the time absent because of the exam. Under a mandate contract, this depends on the contract.

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.