Poland: Proposal for a New Law on Internships

The aim of the Internship Act is to comprehensively regulate the rules governing internships in the open labour market and to ensure better protection of interns’ rights. The new regulations would replace the Act on Internships for Graduates and put an end to unpaid internships.

The most important assumptions to be included in the draft bill are as follows:

• introduction of a mandatory written internship agreement – with a specific programme, objectives, supervisor and scope of duties,
• prohibition on requiring prior experience – the internship is intended for learning and gaining practical experience,
• obligation to pay – minimum 35% of the average salary (currently approx. PLN 3,062 gross),
• maximum duration of the internship: 6 months,
• social insurance – obligations analogous to those for contract of mandate agreements,
• obligation to ensure safe and hygienic conditions for the internship,
• limits on the number of interns per employer – no more than the number of employees,
• granting of days off – 1 day off for each month of internship in the first quarter, 2 days in subsequent months,
• prohibition of replacing an employment relationship with an internship – the regulations are intended to prevent abuse,
• possibility of inspection by the National Labour Inspectorate – inspectors will be able to check the conditions of internships.