How do you get free legal advice from the PIP?

Author: inspekcja-pracy.pl editorial teamChecked: 15 October 2026

Short answer

The PIP (National Labour Inspectorate, Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy) gives free labour law advice to employees and employers. You can call the helpline of the Chief Labour Inspectorate (GIP): 801 002 006 from a landline or 459 599 000 from a mobile, Monday to Friday, 9:00-15:00. You can also book online a time slot when a PIP lawyer will call you back, come for in-person advice at a District Labour Inspectorate (OIP) or one of its branches, or ask in writing. The advice itself is free, but you pay for the helpline call at your operator's rates.

In this guide: GIP helpline 801 002 006 and 459 599 000, booking advice online, in-person advice at the OIP and in writing. Who can ask and what the call costs.

Who this applies to

The advice is for employees and employers (this is how, for example, the OIP in Kraków describes it). Giving advice on compliance with labour law is one of the tasks of the PIP (Article 10(1)(7)(e) of the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate). Advice is information about the rules. It is not a complaint and it does not trigger an inspection of the employer. If you want an inspection, file a complaint: How do you file a complaint to the National Labour Inspectorate?

What to do

Prepare your question. Write down the key facts: type of contract, dates, amounts, what the employer did. Have your contract and payslips at hand.
Choose the form of advice:
- GIP helpline. 801 002 006 (landline) or 459 599 000 (mobile), Monday-Friday 9:00-15:00. According to the PIP, the cost of the call depends on the operator and is charged from the moment of connection, including waiting time.
- Booking telephone advice. On the PIP page "Umów telefoniczną poradę prawną" ("Book telephone legal advice", www.pip.gov.pl/kontakt/umow-telefoniczna-porade-prawna), you choose a day and time from the calendar and the type of matter (e.g. remuneration, working time, mobbing and discrimination), and enter a phone number to which an SMS code will be sent. According to the PIP, slots are available Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 14:40, and the advice lasts no more than 20 minutes. The PIP calls from a withheld number, so answer such a call at the agreed time.
- In-person advice. At the seat of the District Labour Inspectorate and at many of its branches. Days and hours differ between offices, and at some OIPs advice on Mondays lasts longer. Some inspectorates recommend making an appointment in advance. You can check current hours on the Inspectorates page.
- Written advice. By e-mail, via ePUAP or e-Doręczenia, to the OIP address given on its website. Give your first name and surname, full address and a description of the matter.
If you speak Ukrainian. The PIP gives telephone advice in Ukrainian on the legality of employment of Ukrainian citizens in Poland, 9:00-15:00: Monday to Wednesday on 89 333 17 41, Thursday and Friday on 22 111 35 88.
Check the thematic lines. Some OIPs run additional numbers, for example for construction, drivers' working time or the legality of employment. We collect them on the Helplines and telephone advice page.
Write down the answer. Note the date of the advice and what you were told. It will be useful if you later file a complaint or a court claim.

Exceptions and caveats

A letter without your details will not be considered. OIP websites refer to Article 63 § 2 of the Code of Administrative Procedure (KPA): a submission should identify the person it comes from, their address and the request. The OIP in Kraków adds that missing details will result in the matter being left without consideration, and anonymous letters will not be considered. The OIP in Warsaw refers here to § 8(1) of the 2002 regulation on complaints and requests. By phone, you can ask without giving your employer's details.
Written advice only for "your own" voivodeship (province). The OIP in Warsaw considers requests for written advice only from people whose place of residence or registered office is in the Mazowieckie voivodeship. The OIP in Łódź describes written advice as intended for residents of the Łódzkie voivodeship. Write to the OIP of your own voivodeship.
Inconsistent description of the OIP Łódź line. The OIP in Łódź website describes the numbers 801 002 419 (landline) and 459 595 419 (mobile) as advice on occupational health and safety, on Mondays and Wednesdays 9:00-15:00. The websites of other OIPs, for example in Kraków and Warsaw, describe the same numbers as labour law advice from Monday to Friday 9:00-15:00. We do not know which description is current. If your question is about something other than health and safety, start with the GIP helpline.
Cost of the call. The advice is free, but calls to the helpline numbers are not. The PIP states that the cost depends on the operator and includes waiting time. Booking advice online lets you avoid this, because the PIP calls you.
Advice is not a decision. The answer of a PIP lawyer does not bind the court or the employer. An employer who wants a binding answer as to whether a given contract is an employment relationship can apply for an individual interpretation: Individual interpretation from the Chief Labour Inspector: how to ask whether a contract is an employment relationship.

Example

Assumptions: an employee works shifts for an employer based in Katowice and does not know whether the employer calculates his overtime correctly. He has a mobile phone and internet access.

The employee does not want to wait on the helpline at his own expense, so he uses the PIP website to book telephone advice for a free slot on his day off, chooses the matter type "Czas pracy" (Working time) and enters the code from the SMS. At the agreed time he answers a call from a withheld number. The conversation lasts no more than 20 minutes, so he has his questions and his rota ready. After the advice, he decides whether to file a complaint with the OIP in Katowice. The rules for calculating overtime are described in the guide Overtime: when is it allowed, how much does the employer pay for it and how do you document it?

Documents and deadlines

Form	Contact	When	Notes
GIP helpline	801 002 006 (landline), 459 599 000 (mobile)	Mon-Fri 9:00-15:00	cost according to operator, including waiting time
Online booking	pip.gov.pl/kontakt/umow-telefoniczna-porade-prawna	Mon-Fri, slots 9:00-14:40	up to 20 minutes, the PIP calls from a withheld number
In-person advice	OIPs and branches	hours vary	check on the Inspectorates page
Written advice	OIP e-mail, ePUAP, e-Doręczenia	no fixed hours	first name, surname, address; some OIPs only for residents of the voivodeship
Advice in Ukrainian	89 333 17 41 (Mon-Wed), 22 111 35 88 (Thu-Fri)	9:00-15:00	legality of employment of Ukrainian citizens

Frequently asked questions

Can an employer also call for advice?

Yes. OIP websites describe the advice as given to employees and employers.

Do I have to give my name over the phone?

The PIP websites we checked do not set such a requirement for telephone advice. Your details are needed for written advice.

Will advice from the PIP replace a complaint?

No. Advice explains the rules. An inspection of the employer can be triggered by a complaint: How do you file a complaint to the National Labour Inspectorate? If you do not know whether your matter belongs to the PIP, ZUS or a court, read PIP, ZUS or labour court: who should you turn to with a problem at work?

Useful tools

PIP legal advice: phone numbers and hours

Related guides

Sources (documents in Polish)

Sources checked on 15 October 2026. Law as at 15 October 2026.

Change history

15 October 2026: First publication.

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This guide is for information only. The current legal provisions and the information of the National Labour Inspectorate apply. An independent information website. We are not the National Labour Inspectorate (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy).