Christmas Eve as a day off work, but not until 2025

According to the adopted law, from 2025, 24 December will be a public holiday. Originally, the draft stipulated that the change was to take effect as early as this year, but in the end, the free Christmas Eve will only be from 2025.

Christmas Eve off work – yes, but not this year yet

During the committee’s work, amendments to the law were proposed, one of which was the introduction of an additional trading Sunday in December. The law adopted by the Sejm provides that the three Sundays before Christmas Eve are to be trading Sundays.

The new legislation will come into force on 1 February 2025 this means that Christmas Eve in 2024 will be a working day. The bill will now be processed in the Senate, where amendments may still appear. The bill will then go to the President for signature.

Additional leave for parents

During the last session, the Sejm also adopted a bill prepared by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy amending the Labour Code, which introduces a new entitlement – supplementary maternity leave for parents whose child is born prematurely or requires a longer stay in hospital. The length of the complementary maternity leave will be up to 8 weeks or up to 15 weeks, respectively.

The amendment to the Labour Code will now be proceeded with in the Senate. In parallel, a second draft amendment to the Labour Code concerning length of service is still under consultation.