Career Glossary Explained: Salary, Contracts, Remote Work & Hiring

Prefer Polish? Read the polish version.

Job listings come with a language of their own. UoP, B2B, gross, net, notice period, FTE, OTE… What do all these terms and abbreviations actually mean?

Our career glossary explains the key terms you’re likely to come across in job listings, throughout the recruitment process, and when discussing or signing a contract.

Employment & Contract Types

UoP - Umowa o pracę

Employment contract. The standard employee contract in Poland, regulated by the Labour Code. It provides employee protections such as paid annual leave, sick pay, working-time protections and statutory notice periods.

UoP can be:

• Umowa na czas nieokreślony - indefinite-term employment contract.
• Umowa na czas określony - fixed-term employment contract.
• Umowa na okres próbny - probationary employment contract.

Check more details about UoP vs B2B difference on Howdy. You can also download our free UoP vs B2B decision checklist.

UoZ - Umowa zlecenie

Contract of mandate / civil-law contract. A popular form of cooperation in Poland regulated by the Civil Code rather than the Labour Code. The person performing the work is generally required to perform agreed activities with due care rather than work under the employee-style subordination of an employment contract.

Unlike UoP, it does not automatically provide paid annual leave or the same employee protections. Social-security contributions depend on the person's individual situation.

UoD - Umowa o dzieło

Contract for a specific work/result. A civil-law contract in which the contractor agrees to deliver a defined result, such as a specific piece of work. It is different from UoZ because the focus is on the completed result rather than performing activities with due care.

There is no statutory minimum hourly wage for UoD, and it does not generally provide the employee protections associated with UoP.

B2B - Business-to-Business

A cooperation model between two businesses. In Poland, this commonly means a self-employed person operating a JDG (jednoosobowa działalność gospodarcza) provides services to a company under a commercial contract.

Unlike UoP, the contractor generally handles their own taxes, social-security contributions, accounting and business expenses. B2B also does not automatically include paid vacation or employee dismissal protection.

JDG - Jednoosobowa działalność gospodarcza

Sole proprietorship / sole trader. A business operated by one person. It is the structure most commonly associated with B2B contracting in Poland.

Salary & Compensation

Gross salary (Brutto)

Your salary before income tax and employee contributions are deducted. For example, a job advertised as 12,000 PLN gross/month does not mean you receive 12,000 PLN in your bank account. To estimate how much you will get after tax deduction use our gross-to-net calculator

Net salary (Netto)

The amount you actually receive after applicable taxes and contributions have been deducted. The difference between gross and net depends on the country, contract type, tax situation and individual circumstances. To estimate how much you will get after tax deduction use our gross-to-net calculator

Annual salary

Salary expressed as a yearly amount rather than monthly pay. For example, €60,000 gross/year is equivalent to €5,000 gross/month before deductions, assuming 12 equal monthly payments.

Base salary

The fixed part of your regular compensation, excluding bonuses, commissions, equity and other variable compensation.

Total compensation / Total comp

The estimated overall value of your compensation package. It can include base salary + bonus + commission + equity + benefits + other compensation.

OTE - On-Target Earnings

Expected total annual compensation when you achieve the agreed performance targets. It is common in sales and business-development roles. For example, €50k OTE could consist of €35k base salary + €15k performance-based commission.

Bonus

Additional compensation usually paid based on company, team or individual performance.

Commission

Performance-based compensation, most commonly used in sales roles. It is usually linked to revenue, sales or other measurable results.

Equity

Ownership or potential ownership in a company, commonly offered by startups and technology companies. It can include instruments such as stock options, RSUs or shares. Its actual value depends on the specific plan and, for private companies, the company's future value and liquidity.

RSU - Restricted Stock Unit

A company promise to give an employee shares, subject to specified conditions, typically a vesting schedule.

Stock options

The right to purchase company shares at a predetermined price, subject to the terms of the option plan.

Benefits / Perks

Non-salary elements of a compensation package, such as private healthcare, sports membership, meal allowance, insurance, company equipment or additional paid leave.

Working Time & Location

Full-time

Working the standard number of hours defined by the employment arrangement. In Poland, a typical full-time employment schedule is 8 hours per day and an average of 40 hours per week. Exact working-time rules can depend on the contract and working-time system.

Part-time

Working fewer hours than a full-time employee, such as ½ or ¾ time.

FTE - Full-Time Equivalent

A unit used to express workload relative to a full-time position. 1.0 FTE = full-time, while 0.5 FTE = half-time.

Remote job

You perform your work remotely rather than regularly working from the employer's office.

Hybrid job

A combination of remote work and working from an office.

On-site job

The role requires you to work primarily from the employer's workplace or another specified physical location.

Remote job within the EU

A remote role where you may work from a country or countries within the European Union, subject to the employer's and country's tax, employment and immigration rules.

Important: “Remote” does not always mean “work from anywhere.” Employers may restrict the countries from which you can work. For example, often you can see in a job listing “Remote job Poland”

Work from anywhere

A role that allows employees to work from a broad range of locations. The exact geographical and legal restrictions should always be checked in the job description.

Flexible working hours

Employees have some flexibility over when they work, usually within agreed availability or core hours.

Core hours

A period when employees are expected to be available, even if the rest of their schedule is flexible. For example: 10:00-15:00 CET core hours.

Recruitment & Hiring

Notice period (Okres wypowiedzenia)

The time between giving notice to terminate an employment relationship and the actual end of employment.

In Poland, for indefinite- and fixed-term UoP contracts, statutory notice periods generally depend on the employee's length of service with the employer: 2 weeks, 1 month or 3 months.

Availability / Start date

The date when a candidate can realistically begin working. A job application may ask: “What is your notice period?” or “When can you start?”

Immediate start

The candidate can start with little or no notice, subject to the existing contractual situation.

Probation period

The initial period during which the employer and employee assess whether the employment relationship is suitable.

Hiring manager

The person responsible for filling the position and usually the person who will manage the new employee.

Recruiter

A person responsible for sourcing, screening and coordinating candidates during the hiring process.

Screening

An initial assessment of a candidate's experience and suitability for a role.

Interview

A conversation or assessment used to evaluate a candidate. Common formats include:

• HR/recruiter interview
• Hiring-manager interview
• Technical/skills interview
• Case study
• Panel interview
• Final interview

Check our free guide How to explain your expierence on the interview.

Assessment / Test task

An exercise designed to evaluate job-related skills.

Case study

A practical problem or business scenario that a candidate must analyse and solve.

Offer / Job offer

A formal offer of employment or cooperation containing key terms such as compensation, contract type, start date and other conditions.

Counteroffer

A proposal made in response to an initial employment offer, usually involving changes to salary, benefits, title or other terms.

Seniority & Experience

Entry-level

A role intended for candidates with little or no professional experience in the field.

Junior

A position generally intended for someone early in their career or relatively new to the role.

Mid-level / Mid

A role requiring a solid amount of relevant professional experience and independent work.

Senior

A position requiring substantial expertise, independence and responsibility.

Lead

A role focused on leading a function, project or group of people. A Lead does not necessarily have formal people-management responsibility.

Manager

A role with responsibility for managing people, teams, budgets, processes or business areas.

Individual Contributor - IC

An employee who contributes primarily through their own expertise rather than managing people.

People manager

A manager whose responsibilities include directly managing employees, such as hiring, performance reviews, development and team planning.

EU & International Work

EU-based role

A position where the employer, employment arrangement or permitted work location is based within the European Union. The exact employment and tax rules depend on the countries involved.

Cross-border employment

Working for an employer in one country while living or physically working in another. This can involve additional tax, social-security and employment-law considerations.

Employer of Record - EOR

A third-party company that legally employs a worker on behalf of another company in a particular country. The EOR typically handles local payroll, employment administration and compliance, while the worker performs their job for the client company.

Contractor

An independent professional who provides services to a company under a commercial or civil-law agreement rather than as a traditional employee.

Freelancer

A self-employed professional who provides services to clients, often working with multiple clients or on project-based assignments.

Relocation

Moving to another city or country for a job.

Relocation package

Financial or practical support provided by an employer to help an employee move, which may include travel, temporary accommodation or moving expenses.

Visa sponsorship

An employer's support for obtaining the immigration permission needed to work in a particular country.

Explore our business and career terms glossary and guide to corporate jargon.

FAQ

What is the difference between UoP and B2B?

With UoP, you are an employee and generally receive the protections set out in employment law. With B2B, you provide services through your own business under a commercial contract. You usually handle your own taxes, social-security contributions and accounting, and paid leave or dismissal protection do not automatically apply. Check more details about UoP vs B2B difference on Howdy. You can also download our free UoP vs B2B decision checklist.

What’s the difference between gross and net salary?

Gross salary is the amount before applicable taxes and contributions. Net salary is what you receive after deductions. The difference depends on factors such as the country, contract type and individual tax situation. Use a gross-to-net calculator to estimate your take-home pay.

What do annual salary and base salary mean?

Annual salary expresses pay over a year rather than a month. Base salary is the fixed part of compensation, excluding variable pay such as bonuses, commissions and equity. Check whether a listed amount is gross or net and how many payments it covers.

What do equity, stock options and RSUs mean?

Equity refers to ownership or potential ownership in a company. Stock options give you the right to buy shares at a specified price under the plan’s terms. RSUs are company promises to provide shares when specified conditions are met. Their value depends on the plan, vesting conditions and, for private companies, future value and liquidity.

Does “remote” mean I can work from anywhere?

Not necessarily. Employers may limit remote work to specific countries or locations because of tax, employment or immigration rules. Check the job description for where you are allowed to work. “Remote within the EU” also does not automatically mean you can work from every EU country.

What is a notice period, and when can I start?

A notice period is the time between giving notice and the end of employment. For Polish indefinite- and fixed-term UoP contracts, statutory notice generally depends on how long you have worked for the employer: two weeks, one month or three months. Your availability is the date you can realistically start, taking your current contractual situation into account.

What are a recruiter and a hiring manager?

A recruiter typically sources and screens candidates and coordinates the hiring process. The hiring manager is responsible for filling the position and will usually manage the new employee. If you want to know more about the main HR job titles, their responsibilities and differences, check our blog post HR Vocabulary: 50+ Essential HR Terms You Should Know.

What happens during a typical interview process?

The process varies, but it may include a recruiter or HR interview, a hiring-manager conversation, a technical or skills interview, a case study, a panel interview or a final interview. A skills exercise assesses job-related abilities; a case study asks you to analyse and solve a practical problem or business scenario.

What’s the difference between a Lead, a manager and an individual contributor?

A Lead may guide a function, project or group without formally managing people. A manager is responsible for areas such as people, teams, budgets or processes. An individual contributor focuses primarily on their own expertise rather than managing a team.