Parents of teenagers in Poland could soon gain the right to two days’ paid leave from work each year, according to proposals put forward by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. The government wants to raise the age threshold for so-called carer’s leave from 14 to 18 years old, according to Bankier.pl.
Under current regulations, employees raising a child aged up to 14 are entitled to two days or 16 hours of paid absence from work per calendar year. The annual entitlement does not increase for families with more children. Now the ministry has proposed extending the period during which parents can claim this benefit, though the total amount of leave would remain unchanged.
The move would benefit working parents of teenagers who have already lost access to the entitlement because their children passed the age cut-off. According to the ministry’s announcement, the right would now cover parents of children who have not yet turned 18.
How the entitlement works
The two days of paid leave form a joint allowance for both working parents or guardians. One parent can use the full allocation, or the couple can split it between them. It does not mean two days for the mother and another two for the father.
Parents may also choose to count the entitlement in hours and take it in shorter blocks, such as two hours at a time. The decision whether to use days or hours in a given year is made when the first request is submitted.
If a parent works for several employers at the same time, the right to leave is calculated separately for each employment relationship. Any unused carer’s leave does not carry over to the following year.
Timeline for the changes
The extension of carer’s leave to parents of children up to 18 remains a legislative proposal. According to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, the draft was sent for inter-ministerial consultation and talks with social partners on 19 October 2026. The ministry has indicated that the changes are expected to enter into force in 2027.
What this means for Poles in Poland
If the proposal becomes law, thousands of working parents who currently have no access to paid carer’s leave will regain the entitlement once their children turn 14. The change recognises that older children still require parental support, for instance during illness or for medical appointments.
Parents should be aware that the total annual allowance—two days or 16 hours—will not increase, regardless of how many children they have. The entitlement is shared between both parents or guardians, so coordination with a partner is necessary to avoid exceeding the limit.
Because the draft is still under consultation, no final date has been set. Employees should monitor official announcements from the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy and discuss the new entitlement with their employer’s HR department once the law takes effect. Unused leave will not roll over, so planning its use within each calendar year will remain important.
