Days off work in January - New Year and winter holidays
Recruitment Advisor
2025-12-10 · 8 min read
January is the month that starts a new calendar year, featuring New Year's Day and Epiphany. For many employees, it's an ideal time to plan their first vacation and extend their winter rest. Are January 1st and 6th days off work? What about the days between these holidays? Discover what the Labour Code says about this and how days off work are structured in January.
Table of Contents
- Are January 1st and 6th days off work?
- Since when is January 6th a day off work?
- Are the days between January 1st and 6th days off work?
- Days off work in January and Labour Code – calendar layouts
- Shops, offices and services in January – what you should know
- Summary
- FAQ – Days off work in January
Are January 1st and 6th days off work?
Yes, both January 1st (New Year's Day) and January 6th (Epiphany) are statutory days off work under the Act of January 18, 1951 on days off work.
This means that on these two days, most employees are guaranteed a day off work. However, special rules apply to people employed in sectors where work on public holidays is permitted under the regulations.
Key facts about January holidays:
- ✔️ January 1st is a day off work due to New Year's Day celebrations.
- ✔️ January 6th is a day off work due to Epiphany.
- ✔️ These holidays do not require employees to use annual leave.
- ✔️ If one of these holidays falls on a working day, it affects the working hours in the relevant accounting period.
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Since when is January 6th a day off work?
Many people wonder since when January 6th is a day off work. Epiphany was a day off in Poland until 1960, when it was abolished by a law of the Polish People's Republic.
The day off returned to the calendar following an amendment to the act on September 24, 2010. This means that formally January 6th is a day off work again from 2011. From that moment on, Epiphany became one of the statutory days off work.
Are the days between January 1st and 6th days off work?
Many employees planning vacation at the beginning of the year wonder about the legal status of the days between New Year's Day and Epiphany.
Are the days between January 1st and 6th days off work?
No, the days between January 1st and 6th are not automatically days off work by law. Their status depends on which days of the week they fall on and on the work schedule organization at a given employer.
Can you plan vacation between the holidays?
Yes. Using annual leave on the days between January 1st and 6th can help you combine the holidays with the weekend and create a longer rest period. The exact number of days off, however, depends on the calendar layout in a given year.
How to create a long weekend in January?
It's best to check which days of the week January 1st and 6th fall on in a given year, and then plan your vacation accordingly. This way you can combine statutory days off with weekends and get a longer rest period while using fewer vacation days.
Days off work in January and Labour Code – calendar layouts
When analyzing days off work in January, it's worth looking at the Labour Code provisions regulating holidays that fall on different days of the week.
| Calendar layout | Legal rules (Labour Code) | What does this mean for an employee? |
|---|---|---|
| January 1st or 6th on a working day (Monday – Friday) |
|
A holiday falling on a working day provides the employee with a day off without having to submit a leave request. |
| January 1st or 6th on a Saturday |
|
An employee may receive an additional day off in connection with a holiday falling on Saturday. |
| January 1st or 6th on a Sunday |
|
A holiday falling on Sunday alone does not entitle an employee to an additional day off. |
Shops, offices and services in January – what you should know
⚠️ What is closed on January 1st and 6th?
- ❌ Large supermarkets, hypermarkets and shopping centres – trading restrictions apply on public holidays.
- ❌ Public administration offices, post offices and schools – as a rule they are closed on statutory days off work.
- ❌ Banks and some financial services – standard service and some settlements may not be available on public holidays.
- ❌ Selected service facilities – their availability depends on the nature of the activity and work organization.
✓ What can operate on public holidays?
- Petrol stations – can operate even on days subject to trading restrictions.
- Small neighbourhood shops – in certain cases can be open if the owner operates them personally.
- Duty chemists – on public holidays, designated facilities provide duty service.
- Selected restaurants and service points – their operation depends on the owner's decision and applicable regulations.
Summary
When analyzing days off work in January, the key are two holidays with statutory days off: January 1st (New Year's Day) and January 6th (Epiphany).
Key points to remember:
- ✅ January 1st (New Year's Day) and January 6th (Epiphany) are statutory days off work.
- ❌ The days between January 1st and 6th are not automatically days off work.
- ✅ Since 2011, January 6th is officially a day off work again.
- ✅ A holiday falling on Saturday reduces working hours and may require the employer to designate another day off.
- ℹ️ The exact layout of days off and opportunities to create a long weekend depend on the specific year.
Good planning of vacation at the beginning of January allows for recovery and starting the new year with an extra boost of energy.
FAQ – Days off work in January
Yes, New Year's Day (January 1st) is a statutory day off work in Poland.
2. Is January 6th a day off work?Yes, January 6th (Epiphany) is a statutory day off work.
3. Since when is January 6th a day off work?Epiphany has been a day off work since 2011, following an amendment to the act on September 24, 2010.
4. Are the days between January 1st and 6th days off work?No, the days between January 1st and 6th are not automatically days off work. However, they can be used as vacation days to combine the holidays with the weekend.
5. Can you plan vacation between January 1st and 6th?Yes. Annual leave can be planned on working days between the holidays. Depending on the calendar layout, this can extend the rest period.
6. What if January 1st or 6th falls on a Saturday?According to Article 130 § 2 of the Labour Code, if a holiday falls on Saturday, it reduces working hours. For employees with an average five-day work week, the employer should provide another day off in the same accounting period.
7. What if January 1st or 6th falls on a Sunday?A holiday falling on Sunday does not reduce working hours and does not in itself create an obligation to designate an additional day off.
8. How do shops work on January 1st and 6th?Trading restrictions apply on public holidays. However, some facilities may operate under statutory exemptions, including certain small shops operated personally by the owner and petrol stations.
9. How to plan a long weekend in January?Check which days of the week January 1st and 6th fall on in a specific year, then combine the holidays with weekends and annual leave. This allows for a longer rest period while using fewer vacation days.
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