A pilot program to reduce working hours is being launched in Poland, which also involves maintaining current salaries and staff numbers. 2.3 million euros will be allocated for the implementation and execution of the program in 2026. Some cities in the country are already practicing this.
A pilot program to reduce working hours is being launched in Poland, which also involves maintaining current salaries and staff numbers. 2.3 million euros will be allocated for the implementation and execution of the program in 2026. Some cities in the country are already practicing this.
The program will allow businesses, local governments, foundations, and unions to voluntarily test a shortened workweek.
The new initiative was announced by the Polish Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy at the end of April. The terms and conditions of the program will be announced by June 30, 2025, and participants will be determined in the coming months.
Program participants will independently choose the format of reduced working hours, which includes 3 options:
Employees and employers will jointly determine which of the three models is more suitable.
The ministry's goal is to reduce annual working hours by 20%. It said that analysis of the shortened workweek indicates benefits for workers such as better health, reduced risk of burnout, time for themselves and loved ones, opportunities for personal development and a longer professional career.
However, the program has not been met with enthusiasm by labor market experts and employer representatives, who point to the potential costs associated with its implementation.
In Poland, there are already examples of successful implementation of a shortened work week - in the city of Włocławek and in one of the oldest companies in the country, Herbapol Poznań.
Another place in Poland recently implemented a 4-day workweek. From July 1, 2025, officials at the city hall in Szczecinek will work 35 hours a week.
This approach is used by some Ukrainian IT companies, especially in the summer.
For example, YouScan is switching to a 4-day workweek for the summer for the third time . The decision to return to a reduced schedule was in response to a request from employees.
This month, Kyiv-based IT product company Atola Technology also switched to a four-day work week. But for them, it's still an experiment.
