EMPLOYMENT LAW IN BELGIUM & POLAND 

Key differences employers need to know 

29 September 2026 | 11:00 – 14:30 (registration opens at 10:30) 

Embassy of Belgium in Warsaw 

 

Belgium and Poland are closely connected business markets, but their employment law frameworks differ in a number of important – and sometimes unexpected – ways. 

What should Belgian companies employing staff in Poland know? And what should Polish companies expect when hiring employees in Belgium? 

During this interactive seminar, Emmanuel Wauters, Partner at Clarity Legal (Belgium) and Marcin Wojewódka, partner at Wojewodka i Wspolnicy (Poland), both members of the International Labour Law Network (ILLN), will compare the Belgian and Polish approaches to four key stages and aspects of the employment relationship. 

Rather than providing two separate presentations on Belgian and Polish law, each topic will be discussed from a comparative and practical perspective, highlighting the differences that matter most to emplyers. The participants are encouraged to submit their concrete questions to the speakers during their presentation.

 

Programme 

11:00 | Welcome and introduction 

Opening remarks by the Embassy of Belgium, Belgian Business Chamber and hub.brussels. 

Introduction of the speakers and the Belgium–Poland comparative format. 

 

1. Hiring employees in Belgium and Poland 

11:10 – 12:00 

How different is it to hire an employee in Belgium and Poland? 

Among the issues we will discuss: 

• employment contracts and mandatory formalities; 

• fixed-term versus indefinite-term employment; 

• probationary periods; 

• what kind of questions can be asked to candidates?; 

• key mistakes foreign employers should avoid when entering the Belgian or Polish labour market. 

 

Belgium vs Poland: where does the employer have the most flexibility? 

 

2. Dismissing employees: how difficult – and expensive – is it? 

12:00 – 12:45 

Termination rules are often one of the biggest surprises for companies operating across borders. 

We will compare: 

• notice periods and termination indemnities; 

• whether and when a reason for dismissal is required; 

• dismissal procedures and formalities; 

• protected employees; 

• serious misconduct; 

 

Practical case: the same employee is dismissed in Warsaw and Brussels – what changes? 

 

3. Discrimination, mobbing and equal treatment: where are the risks? 

12:45 – 13:30 

Anti-discrimination rules increasingly influence recruitment, employment decisions and dismissals. 

We will examine: 

• The upcoming law in Poland; 

• The existing rules in Belgium; 

• The obligations for the employers – when does an employer have to investigate about a situation? 

• The potential protections which apply to employees. 

 

Interactive discussion: could the same HR decision be lawful in Poland but discriminatory in Belgium – or vice versa? 

 

Speakers 

Marcin Wojewódka 
Co-funder and Managing Partner - Wojewodka i Wspolnicy Law Firm, Warsaw (https://wojewodka.eu)  
Member of the International Labour Law Network (ILLN) 

Emmanuel Wauters 
Founder and partner - Clarity Legal, Brussels (www.claritylegal.be - www.workplaceinvestigations.be 
Member of the International Labour Law Network (ILLN) 

 

The seminar is organised with the support of the Embassy of Belgium in Warsaw, the Belgian Business Chamber in Poland, hub.brussels and the International Labour Law Network (ILLN). 

 

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This is an invitation-only event. If you have any questions, please contact us at bbc@belgium.pl.

Limited places available. Confirmation required.