Polish courts award employees large sums for unpaid overtime

Polish courts are increasingly ruling in favor of employees seeking compensation for unpaid overtime. In one notable case, the District Court for Łódź-Śródmieście awarded two employees nearly 200,000 PLN in unpaid wages. The court determined that a task-based work system does not exempt employers from the obligation to properly account for and compensate overtime hours.

In a separate ruling, a District Court in Grudziądz awarded a female employee nearly 100,000 PLN plus interest. The employee, who was primarily evaluated on sales targets, argued that the targets were set so high they could not be achieved within standard eight-hour workdays, necessitating regular unpaid overtime.

Legal experts note that changes in regulations, such as exempting employees from certain court fees in labor law cases, have made it easier for workers to pursue these claims. Experts also emphasize that employers must ensure assigned tasks are manageable within standard working hours to avoid such legal liabilities.