Night Work in Poland — Your Rights and the Night Work Allowance

Do you work night shifts or occasionally work during night-time hours? Polish labour law gives night workers special protections and an additional payment called the night work allowance (dodatek nocny). This guide explains what counts as night-time hours, how much the allowance is, and what rights you have as a temporary worker.

What Are Night-Time Hours?

Under the Polish Labour Code, night-time covers any 8-hour period between 21:00 and 07:00. Your employer defines which specific 8 hours within that window count as "night-time" at your workplace, and this must be stated in the workplace regulations or your employment contract.

Common night-shift windows in warehouses and manufacturing facilities:

• 22:00 – 06:00
• 23:00 – 07:00
• 21:00 – 05:00

How Much Is the Night Work Allowance?

For every hour worked during night-time, you are entitled to an additional payment of 20% of the hourly rate derived from the statutory minimum wage.

How to calculate it in 2026:

• The minimum wage in 2026 is PLN 4,666 gross per month
• Minimum hourly rate for full-time work: PLN 4,666 ÷ 168 hours ≈ PLN 27.77/hour
• Night allowance: 20% × PLN 27.77 ≈ PLN 5.55 per night-time hour

Important: The night allowance is paid on top of your regular wage — not instead of it. Even if your hourly rate is higher than the minimum, the allowance is still calculated based on the minimum wage rate.

Night Worker — Special Protections

You are classified as a "night worker" if your schedule regularly includes at least 3 night-time hours per working day, or if at least one quarter of your monthly working time falls during night-time hours.

Night workers are entitled to:

• A daily limit of 8 working hours during night-time, when performing particularly dangerous work or work requiring significant mental effort
• Occupational health examinations paid by the employer — before starting night work and periodically thereafter
• Transfer to a daytime position on a doctor's recommendation or for specific health reasons

Who Cannot Work at Night?

Polish law protects certain categories of workers from night work:

• Pregnant women — the employer must transfer them to a daytime role or exempt them from night shifts
• Workers caring for children under 4 years old — they can refuse night work without consequences (they may agree to it voluntarily)
• Minors (under 18) — an absolute prohibition on night work

Night Work and Your Health

Working nights carries a higher health risk. Key things to keep in mind:

• Regular breaks — the Labour Code guarantees at least a 15-minute break in a 6-hour working day
• Daily rest — you are entitled to at least 11 consecutive hours of rest per day
• Report health problems linked to night work to your employer or the occupational health doctor (lekarz medycyny pracy)

How to Check If You Are Getting the Right Allowance

Your pay slip (odcinek wypłat / pasek wynagrodzenia) should list separately:

• Basic wage
• Night work allowance (dodatek nocny) — as a separate line item
• Any overtime pay and other components

If your employer does not pay the night allowance, you can report it to the National Labour Inspectorate (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy — PIP). Complaints can be submitted anonymously at pip.gov.pl.

Summary

If you work during night-time hours in Poland, you are entitled to a night work allowance — 20% of the minimum hourly wage for each night-time hour worked. As a night worker you also have rights to health examinations and additional protections. Check your pay slips and take action if something does not add up.

Working night shifts and have questions about your rights? Nexflow supports temporary workers every step of the way — get in touch with us.