Verdict after verdict. The hospitals' defense line cracks
On July 21 the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of the University Hospital in Kraków. The next day the Kraków Court of Appeal sided with the nurses of the Provincial Combined Hospital in Kielce, even though the district court had previously dismissed their lawsuit.
This is not an exception. Favorable rulings had already been made in other hospitals, including Tarnów, Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Suchej Beskidzkiej and Wodzisław Śląski. The signal is clear, the dispute no longer concerns only the interpretation of the pay table. It has become a real financial risk.
Attorney Teresa Kaczyńska-Kochaniec represents about 800 nurses and midwives from several facilities, as the Rynek Zdrowia service reports. Individual claims exceed 100,000 zlotys. When there are hundreds of such lawsuits, the amounts grow faster than hospital reserves.
One table, three groups and thousands of lawsuits
The source of the conflict lies in the amendment of the 2022 Act on minimum wages in health protection. The provisions assigned nurses and midwives to three pay groups depending on the qualifications required for the position. The problem began when some employees with a master's degree and specialization were not placed in group 2. They received less, so they went to court.
Claims are also filed by nurses from groups 5 and 6, who earn about 2,500–3,000 zlotys less than those in group 2 for the same work.
Another trigger point is qualifications obtained after the law came into force. When the hospital does not recognize them, the employee loses not only the current raise. The value of the claim also rises month by month, so each subsequent payment increases the dispute amount.
Millions in reserves, billions in debt
Polish hospitals have almost 40 billion zlotys in debt, including over 5 billion zlotys in due obligations. Meanwhile, the hospital in Kielce, where almost half of 1,200 nurses remain in a wage dispute, created a reserve of 23 million zlotys for staff lawsuits. Lawsuits are no longer a marginal problem for HR departments. They are incorporated into financial plans.
After the adjustment from July 1, 2026, the minimum gross wage is
- 11,485.59 zlotys in group 2,
- 9,081.63 zlotys in group 5,
- 8,369.35 zlotys in group 6.
The differences remain significant, and each subsequent favorable ruling can strengthen the determination of future employees.
Not all hospitals voluntarily pay even after a final decision. Then a bailiff steps in, and the bill grows again. Directors may still treat these cases as distant risk or calculate them today before the court does.
