Country comparison
United Kingdom or Poland: which costs the employer more
Poland costs the employer more: 20.5% on top of the salary, against 17.9% in the UK.
Each country uses its own currency, so we compare the percentage. We publish no exchange rate and convert nothing.
| United Kingdom | Poland | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary used | £55,000 | 180,000 zł |
| Statutory contributions | £9,846 | 36,864 zł |
| Mandatory extra pay | 0 months | 0 months |
| Total employer cost | £64,846 | 216,864 zł |
| Added on top of the salary | 17.9% | 20.5% |
| Statutory paid leave | 28 days | 20 days |
| Public holidays | 8 | 13 |
| Minimum employer notice | 1 weeks | 2 weeks |
Where the difference actually comes from
United Kingdom: Employer National Insurance has no upper earnings limit. The 15% continues on everything above the 5,000 pound secondary threshold, so the employer burden does not taper as pay rises.
Poland: Pension and disability contributions stop once the cumulative annual base reaches thirty times the projected average wage, 282,600 zloty for 2026. The Labor Fund, accident insurance and the Guaranteed Benefits Fund are uncapped, which is why the marginal rate above the ceiling is 4.22% rather than zero.
The formula behind both columns
Ceilings are the reason this ordering can reverse at a higher salary. Run both countries through the calculator at the salary you actually intend to pay before you treat either number as settled.
Related
Written by Kaz, independent publisher. No commercial relationship with the providers named unless it is listed on the disclosure page.
Page last updated 2026-08-30. Sources: statutory bodies only, listed per figure. Rates last verified 2026-08-21. This is not legal, tax or payroll advice and we do not file anyone's payroll.
Every formula on this site is written out in full on Method. Ordering is by computed cost, never by what a provider pays us.
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