It's one of the most stressful moments for a business owner: the HR person left overnight, went on sick leave or simply stopped responding. Nobody knows what was left unfinished, where the system passwords are, or which declarations haven't been filed yet. The first reaction is usually panic - but right now, calm and a concrete plan are what matter.
Before you look for a replacement – take stock
The first step isn't posting a job ad or calling a recruitment agency. The first step is finding out what state things are in. Without that, you risk a new person inheriting a mess they can't see.
- Check which systems you have access to: ZUS PUE, the HR and payroll software (Płatnik, Symfonia, Optima, Enova or other), the HR person's email
- Identify the current month's status: has the payroll been calculated? Have the ZUS declarations been filed?
- Check when the nearest statutory deadlines fall (25th of the month – ZUS declarations; end of month or set date – payroll)
- Establish which employees have active paperwork in progress: terminations, sick leave, returns from parental leave
The most urgent deadlines you cannot miss
Depending on when your HR person left, you're dealing with different priorities. Here are the ones that hurt most:
- ZUS declarations (DRA and individual reports) – filed by the 15th of the month (for sole traders) or the 20th (for other employers); delays incur interest
- Salary payments – missing the deadline set in the contract or company policy is a breach of employment law that employees can report to PIP
- ZUS registrations and deregistrations (ZUA, ZWUA) – mandatory within 7 days of the event; errors or delays lead to contribution arrears
- Medical examinations and BHP health and safety training – if they expire this month, the employee cannot legally perform their work
What you can do yourself – and what's better left to a specialist
Some things can be managed without a specialist. Others – if done incorrectly – will create a bigger problem than the absence itself.
- You can check your ZUS account on PUE ZUS yourself to see whether there are unsettled periods or errors in registrations
- You can review employee documentation and see which files are incomplete
- Do not calculate payroll yourself if you don't know how insurance concurrences, sick pay corrections or bailiff deductions work – payroll errors generate employee claims
- Do not submit ZUS corrections without verification – a correction filed with an error is harder to fix than the original delay
ZUS arrears – what happens when declarations weren't filed
If you discover that the previous month (or several) wasn't settled, don't wait. ZUS charges interest from the day the contribution should have been paid. The longer you wait, the higher the bill. The good news: arrears can be settled, and in some cases you can apply for an interest waiver – but only with documented and credible grounds.
The first step is to log into ZUS PUE, review the declaration history and establish which periods are missing documents or payments. Only then can you assess the scale of the problem and decide how quickly you need professional help.
Need help with this?
I support companies across Poland – fully remotely.
Late payroll – how to fix it quickly
If the payroll deadline has passed or is approaching and the payroll isn't ready, this requires immediate action. Employees have the right to be paid on time – failure to do so is a breach of the Labour Code that can lead to a PIP inspection and employee claims.
In practice this means: first – check whether the payroll system contains the data needed to calculate pay (working time, absences, salary components); second – if not, contact a specialist urgently. One phone call can save the payroll deadline.
Where to find temporary support – and what to watch out for
There are three options: a temporary staffing agency, a job ad or an HR and payroll firm offering cover. The last option is usually the fastest in a crisis – you don't need to wait for onboarding and training; the person knows the regulations and can start immediately.
What to watch out for with cover arrangements: make sure you have a written data processing agreement (GDPR) in place before anyone touches the employee documentation. This is a legal requirement, not a formality.
How I can help
Within the HR Emergency service, I take on exactly these situations. The first conversation and diagnosis are free – tell me what happened and I'll assess how urgent it is and what needs to be done first. I work remotely and can start the same day.