Fewer errors and more punctuality. We have reached the results of the shortened working time pilot

Shorter working time - fewer errors

Data obtained by RMF FM show that the greatest difference was recorded in the number of errors made by employees.

Among employees who have been participating in the pilot since the beginning of the year, the rate of errors resulting in customer complaints was on average 13.2 per 1,000 employees. In the comparison group - not covered by short working time - there were 31 errors per 1,000 employees. This means that the number of errors among the pilot participants was 57.4% lower.

More tasks on time

Improvement was also noted in terms of timely completion of tasks. According to analyzes obtained by RMF FM, in the group of employees covered by the pilot, 90.4 percent tasks were completed within the planned time. In the group not subject to shortening of working time, this indicator was 77.5%. The difference was almost 13 percentage points.

The MRPiPS report also includes examples from individual enterprises. In one of the water supply companies participating in the pilot, in the first half of 2026, the average time for detecting water supply failures decreased from 1.7 hours to 30 minutes, and sewage failures - from 1.9 to 1 hour (compared to the same period in 2025).

Piloting shortened working hours

The shortened working time pilot lasts from January 1 to December 31, 2026. In the first half of the year, it was assumed that working time would be reduced by 10%, and in the second half by 20%. The program covers 78 entities, including 38 private and 40 public. In total, it's almost 5 thousand. employees.

Some have introduced shortened working hours in the form of one additional day off per week - they have a four-day working week. However, the most popular is shortening the daily working time - by an hour or two. A less popular practice, but also present in the pilot, are additional days off per month - says Dr. Hab. in an interview with RMF FM. Ewa Flaszyńska, director of the labor market department at the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy.

And as he adds, research by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy shows that "90 percent of employers participating in the program positively evaluate the idea of ​​​​shortening working time, and nearly 80 percent are considering maintaining shorter working time also after the end of the pilot."

They withdrew from the pilot

During the program, four private entities withdrew from the pilot. "The reason was difficulties in meeting the requirements of the program, in particular regarding the reduction of working time and maintaining employment," we read in the ministry's response to RMF FM's questions.

Representatives of the ministry in an interview with RMF FM emphasize that the final results will be prepared in spring 2027 and recommendations will be presented on their basis.

What's next?

The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, in response to RMF FM's questions, does not specify what the next step may be after the end of the pilot. However, according to our unofficial findings, potential solutions include submitting a draft law introducing shortened working time on a wider scale in individual industries or in a limited form.