26 days of vacation in 2025 – when can you take them?

In Poland, the amount of vacation time depends on seniority. People who have worked for less than ten years are entitled to 20 days of vacation per year. Employees with at least ten years of seniority, on the other hand, are entitled to 26 days of vacation.
The vacation leave limit is therefore directly related to seniority. This is important information for those planning a longer vacation, as 26 days of vacation leave allows them to freely plan their days off throughout the year and combine them with statutory holidays.

It is not always necessary to have actually worked for ten years to be entitled to more vacation time. According to Article 155 § 1 of the Labor Code, periods of education are also added to the total length of service, which determines the number of vacation days. The regulations specify specific limits that are included for completing particular stages of education.

It looks like this:

• completion of a basic vocational school or equivalent gives the possibility of adding a maximum of 3 years,
• in the case of a secondary vocational school – up to 5 years can be included in the length of service,
• graduates of a secondary vocational school who have previously completed a basic vocational school gain an additional 5 years,
• completion of a general secondary school means 4 years are added,
•  post-secondary school allows for 6 years to be counted,
• in turn, completion of higher education entitles the employee to have as many as 8 years counted towards their seniority.

It should be emphasized that the above periods do not add up – only the highest level of education achieved by the employee is counted. Thanks to this, some people may be entitled to 26 days of leave earlier, even if their actual length of service is not yet 10 years.

An employee is entitled to 26 days of leave after working for ten years. In the case of part-time employees, the amount of leave is determined in proportion to the number of hours worked. This means that even when working part-time, it is possible to plan your rest time while retaining the appropriate number of days off.

In this way, every employee, regardless of their form of employment, can take vacation in a manner appropriate to their working time and regeneration needs.

The leave limit specifies the maximum number of days an employee can take off during the year. For people with less than ten years of service, it is 20 days, while for experienced employees – 26 days of leave.

What does this mean in practice? When planning your vacation, you can take into account both the standard amount and the arrangement of public holidays. In 2025, the calendar is conducive to creating long weekends, allowing you to use your vacation limit more effectively, maximizing your free time without having to take many vacation days in a row.

In addition to basic leave, there are also special leave days. These are intended for important events in personal life, such as a wedding, the birth of a child, or the death of a loved one. The number of these days depends on the type of situation and is regulated by labor law. Special leave allows for a balance between professional responsibilities and personal needs, which significantly affects comfort and job satisfaction.

From 2025, the list of days off work has been expanded to include additional entitlements to support employees in urgent or particularly demanding life situations. These include:

• care leave – 5 days of leave can be taken during the year to provide personal care for a close family member or household member in the event of serious health problems. The employee does not have to provide medical documentation, and this time counts towards their length of service,
• leave due to force majeure – employees are entitled to 2 days (or 16 hours) of leave per year, which can be used in emergency situations, e.g., related to illness or an accident in the family. During this period, the employee retains the right to half of their salary. The absence can be reported even on the day it begins, and the employer is obliged to take it into account.
• additional maternity leave for parents of premature babies – from March 2025, parents of children born prematurely or requiring prolonged hospital treatment will be entitled to additional leave after the end of the basic period. This can be up to 15 weeks if the child was born before the 28th week of pregnancy or had a birth weight of less than 1000 g. For each week the child stays in hospital, a week of leave is added, and during this entire period, the parent receives maternity benefit amounting to 100% of the base amount.

Working at Foodcom gives you the opportunity to take advantage of these additional benefits, which help employees balance their professional and personal lives.

Foodcom is an example of a company that cares for its employees in a comprehensive manner. In addition to the standard amount of leave, employees can take advantage of additional days off and plan long weekends. The company supports work-life balance by enabling the effective use of leave limits. This allows team members to rest, spend time with their families, or pursue their passions, which increases job satisfaction and loyalty to the employer.

In 2025, employees in Poland can count on attractive vacation time. The vacation limit is 20 or 26 days, depending on seniority, and the favorable arrangement of days off in the calendar is conducive to long weekends. Working at Foodcom shows that caring for employees is not limited to complying with regulations – it also means creating an environment conducive to regeneration, comfortable working conditions, and effective vacation planning.

Daily professional challenges are combined here with genuine concern for the well-being of employees. This gives the team space to rest and develop their passions, which directly translates into satisfaction and efficiency at work.