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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Conditions of service for academic staff working in higher education

Poland

9.Teachers and education staff

9.5Conditions of service for academic staff working in higher education

Last update: 22 June 2022
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Academic staff may take one of the following positions:

  • Professor (profesor),
  • University Professor (profesor uczdelni),
  • Assistant Professor (adiunkt),
  • Assistant (asystent).

The legislation lays down the following requirements for each position:

  • Professor: the academic title of professor (profesor).
  • University Professor: at least a doctoral degree (doktor) and:
  • for teaching staff: significant teaching or professional achievements;
  • for research staff: significant research or artistic achievements;
  • for research-and-teaching staff: significant research, artistic or teaching achievements.
  • Assistant Professor: at least a doctoral degree (doktor).
  • Assistant: a Master’s degree (magister or magister inżynier) or an equivalent degree.

The statutes of an HEI may specify other positions for academic staff and related additional qualification requirements. A detailed job description for an academic teacher is provided by the rector of an HEI.

Planning policy

The responsibility for teaching staff policies in the higher education sector rests with the Minister of Education and Science, appointed on 19 October 2020, who supervises the Ministry of Education and Science established on 1 January 2021 (following the merger of the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education).

The Minister of Education and Science is responsible for matters related to:

  • supervision of HEIs with regard to the compliance of their activities with the national legislation and the requirements for providing programmes;
  • labour regulations for academic staff, and awards for academic staff for outstanding research, teaching and organisational achievements and lifetime achievements;
  • doctoral and postdoctoral degrees (doktor and doktor habilitowany, respectively) the title of professor (profesor) in the areas of science and fine arts;
  • disciplinary liability of academic staff.

Statistical data for 31 December 2020:

  • 93,158 academic staff employed in HEIs, including:
    • 88,284 full-time staff;
    • 4,874 part-time staff calculated as full-time equivalents. .
  • Academic staff in a breakdown by position:
  • Professors (including full, associate and visiting professors): 26,589;
  • Readers: 83;
  • Assistant Professors: 40,045;
  • Assistants: 14,441.
  • Academic staff in a breakdown by type of HEI:
    • Public HEIs: 90% of all academic staff working in HEIs;
    • Non-public HEIs: 10% of all academic staff working in HEIs.
  • Academic staff working in public HEIs:
  • Professors: 29% of all academic staff;
  • Readers: 0.05%;
  • Assistant Professors: 43%;
  • Assistants: 16%.
  • Academic staff in non-public HEIs:
    • Professors: 27% of all academic staff;
    • Readers: 0.4%;
    • Assistant Professors: 40%;
    • Assistants: 15%.
  • Female academic staff among all academic staff, in a breakdown by position:
  • Professors: 9,138 women, 34% of all academic staff holding the position;
  • Readers: 30% of all academic staff holding the position;
  • Assistant Professors: 50% of all academic staff holding the position;
  • Assistants: 56% of all academic staff holding the position.

Source: Central Statistical Office (2021), Higher education and its finances in 2020; Gdańsk, Warsaw.

Information on academic and non-academic staff in higher education is provided by the POL-on system: an integrated science and higher education information system which supports the Ministry of Education and Science, the Central Statistical Office and the Central Commission for Degrees and Titles. It aims to serve as a global database on research institutions, HEIs and research in Poland. Data gathered in the system supports the Ministry of Education and Science in decisions relating to Polish HEIs and research institutions. POL-on facilitates decisions on where funding for education should be targeted and on financial support for students.

One of the POL-on thematic sections is the register of research staff in research institutions other than HEIs and academic staff in HEIs. Data in the register is used to verify whether institutions comply with the minimum staff requirements for individual fields of study, and to monitor multiple job holding by staff and the authorisations held by HEIs to award doctoral and post-doctoral degrees and professorial titles.

Entry to the profession

Academic teachers are divided into the following groups:

  • teaching staff,
  • research staff, and
  • research-and-teaching staff.

Academic teachers should fulfil the following general requirements:

  • have a higher education qualification;
  • have not been punished with a disciplinary penalty;
  • have full legal capacity;
  • have full civic rights;
  • have not been convicted of an intentional offence or international tax offence by a valid court judgement;
  • did not work in state security institutions, did not do service in or collaborate with these institutions between 22 July 1944 and 31 July 1990.

The legislation lays down the following requirements for each position which may be taken up by academic staff:

  • Professor: the academic title of professor (profesor).
  • University Professor: at least a doctoral degree (doktor) and:
  • for teaching staff: significant teaching or professional achievements;
  • for research staff: significant research or artistic achievements;
  • for research-and-teaching staff: significant research, artistic or teaching achievements.
  • Assistant Professor: at least a doctoral degree (doktor).
  • Assistant: a Master’s degree (magister or magister inżynier) or an equivalent degree.

The statutes of a higher education institution (HEI) may specify other positions for academic staff and related additional qualification requirements. The latter may not relate to the fact of holding or the requirement to obtain a doctoral or postdoctoral degree, or the professorial title.

The first employment contract with an academic teacher at a given HEI is concluded for an indefinite period or a fixed period of 4 years. When the outcome of a periodic performance appraisal is positive, an employment contract with an academic teacher may be concluded for an indefinite period without holding a competition. This means that a competition should be held only for the recruitment of a new academic teacher.

An open competition is held in case the first employment relationship with an academic teacher in a given public HEI is established for an indefinite period or for fixed period longer than 3 months, and for the working time which exceeds 50% of full-time employment. The procedure and conditions for competitions are laid down by the statutes of an HEI.

The national regulations on competitions are not applicable in case an HEI employs for a fixed period an academic teacher who:

  • has been seconded to work in the HEI on the basis of an agreement concluded with the Łukasiewicz Centre, an institute of the Łukasiewicz Research Network or a foreign research institution;
  • is a beneficiary of a project, programme or grant under a Call published by the National Agency for Academic Exchange, the National Centre for Research and Development, the National Science Centre or under an international Call for research proposals;
  • is hired for the implementation period of a research or education project funded by the European Union or another grant-awarding body.

The employment contract with an academic teacher indicates whether a given HEI is the place of his / her primary employment. An HEI may be the place of primary employment only if a teacher is employed in it on a full-time basis. There may be only one place of primary employment for an academic teacher.

Academic teachers employed in a public HEI which is the place of their primary employment may, with the consent of its rector, take or keep another job with only one employing organisation which conducts teaching or research activities. The rector approves or refuses to approve a teacher’s request for such a consent within 2 months of the date of submission of the request. Refusal to give consent should be substantiated.

Within an HEI, there should be no direct reporting relationship between spouses and individuals who maintain a common household (the provision is not applicable to rectors of HEIs), are related by consanguinity or affinity up to the second degree, or are in a relationship of adoption, care or custody.

Recruitment rules and procedures in non-public HEIs are laid down in their internal regulations.

The rector of an HEI provides an academic staff identity card at the request of an academic teacher. The validity period of an identity card is extended:

  • on an annual basis in the case of academic teachers employed for an indefinite period;
  • on a semester basis in the case of academic teachers employed for a fixed period.

An academic teacher’s identity card is an electronic processor card with a contact interface based on the ISO/IEC 7816-2 and ISO/IEC 7816-3 standards. It can also contain other interfaces, including a non-contact interface.

Professional status

Academic teachers are an intellectual and scientific elite; they enjoy the freedom to conduct scientific research, freedom of artistic creation and freedom of teaching. They benefit from the entitlements granted to creators in respect of copyright protection.

Academic staff have the following main responsibilities:

  • teaching staff: teaching and educating students or participating in the training of doctoral students;
  • research staff: conducting research activities or participating in the training of doctoral students;
  • research-and-teaching staff: conducting research activities, training and educating students or participating in the training of doctoral students.

A detailed job description for an academic teacher is provided by the rector of a higher education institution (HEI).

Academic staff are liable to disciplinary measures for conduct contrary to the duties of an academic teacher or detracting from the dignity of the profession of academic teacher.

Disciplinary penalties include:

  • caution;
  • reprimand;
  • reprimand combined with a 10% to 25% reduction in the basic salary for a period of 1 month to 2 years;
  • ineligibility to perform the role of a supervisor, reviewer or board member in proceedings leading to the award of a doctoral degree, a postdoctoral degree and the professorial title for a period of 1 to 5 years;
  • ineligibility to perform a management function in HEIs for a period of 6 months to 5 years;
  • expulsion from the home HEI;
  • expulsion from the home HEI combined with a ban on working in HEIs for a period of 6 months to 5 years;
  • a ban on practising the profession of academic teacher for a period of 10 years.

One disciplinary penalty is prescribed for one disciplinary offence, and one, more severe, penalty is prescribed for several offences.

The employment contract of an academic teacher expires in the following cases:

  • the teacher no longer fulfils the relevant recruitment requirements (see: Entry to the Profession);
  • it is established that the employment contract is based on false or invalid documents;
  • a disciplinary penalty has been imposed on the teacher;
  • a penal measure imposed prohibits the teacher from holding a specific position if the decision imposing the measure concerns the performance of duties of an academic teacher;
  • the teacher has received a sentence of imprisonment.

Performance appraisal

Academic teachers, except the rector of a higher education institution (HEI), undergo periodic appraisal. It covers, in particular, the performance of their statutory duties, and the observance of intellectual property, related rights and industrial property rights. A periodic appraisal is conducted at least every 4 years or at the request of the rector. The timespan for periodic appraisal is extended by the period of absence for a teacher who has taken maternity leave, leave based on the same conditions as maternity leave, paternal leave, parental leave, child-raising leave or health leave, or have performed military service or alternative service.

The outcome of a periodic appraisal can be positive or negative.

Periodic appraisal criteria for individual groups of employees and positions, and the procedure and the body conducting periodic appraisals are specified by the rector, after consultations with the HEI senate, trade unions, the student self-government and doctoral student self-government bodies. These bodies provide their opinions within a timeframe specified in the request for an opinion, which may not be shorter than 30 days. Where no opinion is provided, the requirement to seek an opinion is considered to have been fulfilled.

Appraisal criteria may not cover a requirement to obtain a doctoral or postdoctoral degree, or a professorial title. Criteria are provided to an academic teacher before the beginning of a period covered by appraisal.

HEIs should enable students and doctoral students to evaluate the performance of teaching duties by the teacher at least once in an academic year.

Academic staff may appeal against the outcome of a periodic appraisal to the rector.

Where the outcome of an appraisal is negative, the next periodic appraisal is conducted at least 12 months after the end of the previous appraisal.

Salaries

The salary of an employee of a public higher education institution (HEI) consists of:

  • the basic salary, and
  • a length-of-service allowance.

An employee of a public HEI may also receive:

  • a function-related allowance;
  • a task-related allowance;
  • overtime pay;
  • a hardship allowance for work in hazardous or difficult conditions;
  • a bonus in the case of non-academic staff;
  • other allowances if provided for in the collective labour agreement or the remuneration regulations of a given HEI.

The length-of-service allowance amounts to 1% of the basic salary for each year of employment. It is paid on a monthly basis, from the fourth year of employment, but its amount may not exceed 20% of the basic salary.

The function-related allowance is granted for managing a team composed of at least 5 members, including the team leader. The amount of the allowance may not exceed 67% of the salary of a professor and depends on the number of team members and the complexity of tasks.

The task-related allowance may be granted for a temporarily extended scope of responsibilities or additional tasks performed on a temporary basis, or as based on the nature or conditions of work. The level of the allowance may not exceed 80% of the total amount of the basic salary and the function-related allowance.

The monthly basic salary of an academic teacher in a public HEI may not be lower than 50% of the salary of a professor. However, the basic salary:

  • for a university professor may not be lower than 83% of the salary of a professor;
  • for an assistant professor may not be lower than 73% of the salary of a professor.

The Minister of Science and Higher Education (currently, the Minister of Education and Science) has established, by regulation, the amount of the basic salary of a professor (Journal of Law 2018, item 1838). The minimum monthly basic salary for a professor in a public HEI is PLN 6,410.

Since 2019, the minimum salaries have been as follows:

  • PLN 6,410 for a professor ordinarius / full professor;
  • PLN 5,320 for professor extraordinarius / an associate professor;
  • PLN 4,680 for an assistant professor;
  • PLN 3,205 for an assistant;
  • PLN 3,205 for a lecturer, foreign language teacher and instructor.

Employees of public HEIs are entitled to anniversary awards for a long period of service:

  • 75% of the monthly salary for 20 years of service;
  • 100% of the monthly salary for 25 years of service;
  • 150% of the monthly salary for 30 years of service;
  • 200% of the monthly salary for 35 years of service;
  • 300% of the monthly salary for 40 years of service;
  • 400% of the monthly salary for 45 years of service.

Academic and non-academic staff in a public HEI may receive awards for professional achievements from the rector.

In case the employment relationship is terminated when employees retire at the statutory age or earlier due to ill health / incapacity for work, they are entitled to receive an award if less than 12 months are left to the date when they would be eligible to receive it.

An employee of a public HEI is entitled to an additional end-of-year pay in accordance with the rules laid down in the legislation on additional end-of-year pay for state-budget units.

Provisions of the Labour Code (ustawa – Kodeks Pracy) apply to employment relationship matters which are not regulated by the Law on Higher Education and Science (ustawa – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce).

Working time

Academic staff work in accordance with a task-based working time system which specifies the teaching load, including the number of hours for teaching duties.

The duration of one class / teaching hour is 45 minutes.

The annual teaching load is:

  • up to 240 class hours for research-and-teaching staff;
  • up to 180 class hours for research-and-teaching staff holding the position of Professor;
  • up to 360 class hours for teaching staff;
  • up to 540 class hours for teaching staff holding the position of Foreign Language Teacher or Instructor if such a position is provided for in the statutes of an HEI.

The annual teaching load includes the time allocated to the training of doctoral students.

In specific cases, where this is justified by the need to implement a curriculum in a given HEI, academic staff may be required to teach classes as overtime hours. The additional teaching load may not exceed:

  • ¼ of the annual teaching load for research-and-teaching staff;
  • ½ of the annual teaching load for teaching staff.

With their consent, academic staff may teach classes for a number of overtime hours that does not exceed the double annual teaching load.

Academic staff may not be assigned overtime duties without their prior consent during pregnancy or when they take care of a child of up to 4 years of age.

The statutes of a non-public HEI may define a different teaching load and a different number of working hours for its employees.

Holidays

Academic staff are entitled to holiday leave of 36 working days per year.

Detailed rules and procedures for granting holiday leave and other types of leave are laid down in the work regulations of an HEI.

During their holiday leave, academic staff are entitled to receive the same salary as they would receive if they were working,

In case holiday leave is not used due to the termination or expiry of the employment relationship, academic staff are entitled to a cash equivalent for the period of unused leave.

Days free of duty which are provided for in a timetable for a five-day working week are not included in holiday leave.

The rector may grant the following types of leave to academic staff:

  • paid sabbatical leaves to conduct research, with their total duration of up to 1 year during 7 years of work at a given HEI, for staff holding at least a doctoral degree;
  • paid sabbatical leave of up to 3 months for staff preparing a doctoral dissertation;
  • paid leave to undertake a training period, research or teaching placement abroad, or participate in a conference abroad, or participate in joint research conducted together with a foreign institution based on an agreement on research cooperation;
  • paid leave to participate in joint research conducted with the Łukasiewicz Centre or an institute of the Łukasiewicz Research Network.

After at least 10 years of work in an HEI, a full-time academic teacher who has not reached the age of 65 is entitled to paid health leave. The next health leave may not be granted earlier than 3 years after the end of the previous leave. The total duration of health leave during the entire employment period may not exceed 1 year. Health leave is granted based on a medical certificate which states that the teacher should refrain from work due to his / her health condition and prescribes a recommended treatment and the time required to undergo it. Teachers are not allowed to do paid work during their health leave.

Promotion, advancement

The academic and professional career of academic teachers makes a distinction between:

  • degrees, referred to as professional titles;
  • academic / research degrees and the academic / research title;
  • positions held in a higher education institution.

Degrees / Professional titles

Degrees / professional titles are Bachelor's degrees (licencjat or inżynier) and Master's degrees (magister or magister inżynier) or equivalent degrees.

Academic / research degrees and the academic / research title

The following academic / research qualifications are awarded within the higher education and science system:

  • academic / research degrees in the areas of science and fine arts:
  • a doctoral degree (doktor);
  • a postdoctoral degree / doctor habilitatus (doktor habilitowany)
  • the title of professor (profesor).

Positions

Research-and-teaching positions:

  • Professor (profesor),
  • University Professor (profesor uczelni),
  • Assistant Professor (adiunkt),
  • Assistant (asystent).

Academic teachers may also be promoted to management positions in an HEI. These include rector (rektor) and other positions established by individual HEIs (See Chapter 10 ‘Management and Other Education Staff’).

Retirement and pensions

Academic teachers and members of their families are entitled to benefits based on the Act on Retirement Pensions and Disability Pensions from the Social Security Fund (ustawa o rentach i emeryturach z Funduszu Ubezpieczeń Społecznych).

Currently, the national legislation does not address the issue of the retirement age for employees of higher education institutions (HEIs). Thus, general regulations, which specify the state pension age, apply. Academic teachers may retire in accordance with the general rules laid down in the legislation on retirement: at the age of 60 for women and 65 for men. However, academic teachers normally work much longer. The fact of reaching the state pension age may not in itself be the reason for terminating an employment contract.

The basis for the calculation of a retirement or disability pension is determined according to the general rules laid down in the legislation on the retirement pensions and disability pensions from the Social Security Fund. The basis also includes overtime pay, allowances and all awards for professional achievements received during the years which are the reference period for a retirement or disability pension.

Academic teachers who retire at the state pension age or due to ill health / incapacity for work are entitled to receive a one-off retirement gratuity from the HEI which is the place of their primary employment. The gratuity is equivalent to 300% of the basic salary paid for the full final month of employment.