The act gradually introducing the Sunday trading ban came into force on 1 March 2018. From 2020, the trading ban does not apply only on seven Sundays a year: the last Sundays of January, April, June and August, as well as on the Sunday before Easter and on the two consecutive Sundays before Christmas.
So next Sunday will be a shopping day. Then this year, stores will be open on Sunday, December 15, and then on December 22.
These places are not subject to Sunday shopping.
The law restricting Sunday trading provides for a catalogue of 32 exemptions. The ban does not cover, among others, postal services if the revenue from this activity constitutes at least 40% of the sales revenue of a given facility. It also does not apply to confectioneries, ice cream parlours, liquid fuel stations, flower shops, newsagents or cafés.
Violating the Sunday trading ban is punishable by a fine from PLN 1,000 to PLN 100,000, and in the case of persistent violation of the regulations, even a penalty of restriction of liberty.
There will be changes
Currently, there is a draft amendment to the regulations in the Sejm, authored by Poland 2050, which allows for two shopping Sundays per month. According to it, work on Sunday would be entitled to double pay, and the employer would be obliged to designate the employee a day off 6 days before or 6 days after the day of work on Sunday. In June, the draft was referred to the Sejm committees for work. Earlier, the Sejm rejected the motion to reject the draft, submitted by PiS and Left MPs, in the first reading.
