Agnieszka Szczodra - Hajduk

Agnieszka has been supporting employers across a wide range of industries in creating safe and efficient workplaces. For more than 25 years, she advises clients on all aspects of HR compliance, helping them navigate a rapidly evolving employment law landscape.

Agnieszka has extensive experience in domestic and cross-border employee transfers in the context of M&A transactions and business transfers, as well as in resolving disputes with employees and trade unions. She advises clients on workforce optimization, employee benefits, development of internal policies and regulations, and implementation of restrictive covenants. She also leads HR audits, with a particular focus on the legal compliance of flexible forms of employment.

Agnieszka’s sector expertise includes Life Sciences & Health Care, e-commerce, IT, and automotive industry. She is recommended in leading international legal directories and rankings.

Helping you succeed in tomorrow's world

I have been engaged in pro bono initiatives for many years, providing legal assistance to NGOs and refugees from crises-affected countries. I am committed to legal education and share my expertise as a lecturer in MBA programs and a speaker at industry conferences, particularly in the automotive sector. I have also authored numerous publications on HR-related legal issues.

Agnieszka Szczodra-Hajduk is very competent, professional and knowledgeable. She has great communication skills, strong abilities and a willingness to listen. She always ensures we know and understand all relevant information so that we can make informed decisions.

She is proactive beyond comparison. A true business friend and partner.

Chambers & Partners Europe, 2023

Agnieszka Szczodra-Hajduk is a specialist with long-lasting experience in labour law and is perfect in finding easy solutions to complex issues. She has a very pragmatic and business-oriented approach. Agnieszka Szczodra-Hajduk is very attentive to client needs.

Agnieszka Szczodra-Hajduk is someone very professional and very human at the same time. She has huge knowledge about labour law in practice, she is very proactive in satisfying client needs, and she always makes sure the client considers all possible options and the whole context.

The Legal500 EMEA, 2023 

Recent work

• Provision of comprehensive legal advisory services in connection with the acquisition of Polish IT companies, including the implementation of a new legal framework for employees and contractors, review of internal policies and procedures for compliance with applicable laws, and the design of a new remuneration and benefits structure.
• Advising on a broad range of employment law matters, in particular remote work, global mobility, immigration issues, annual leave, Employee Capital Plans (Pracownicze Plany Kapitałowe), data protection, recognition of global length of service, residence and work permits, rules on on‑call duties, employee copyrights, as well as the hiring of employees, remuneration and bonus schemes, restructurings and termination of employment.
• Advising on available models for engaging IT personnel, risks associated with outsourcing of human resources, the establishment of a cross‑border shared services centre and global mobility; legal support for recruitment campaigns in Poland, including compliance with anti‑discrimination regulations and the design of dedicated development programmes for refugees from Ukraine and their families.
• Advising on the development and implementation of internal policies, including innovative rules and frameworks for remote work. Support in relation to benefits and incentive schemes for senior management, restrictive covenants, and issues connected with broad regulatory compliance.
• Advising on a wide range of employment law matters related to the acquisition of a startup operating in the cloud‑gaming sector, including post‑closing integration into international group structures and implementation of a new HR operating model compliant with applicable regulations.
• Supporting a number of companies in numerous employment law projects, covering, among others, global mobility and immigration in the context of the Ukrainian crisis, transfers and integration of employees, implementation of global policies and regulations (including remote work arrangements), as well as ongoing advice on, inter alia, the use of electronic signatures in employment matters, background checks on candidates and employees, clauses restricting competitive activity, post‑termination non‑compete agreements, termination processes, bonus policies (including RSUs) and rules on on‑call duties.
• Advising on a broad spectrum of operational employment law issues, including cross‑border employment, implementation of internal regulations (work and remuneration rules, rules on the creation and use of the social benefits fund, remote work policies and anti‑bullying / anti‑harassment policies), recruitment processes, engagement and incentivisation of management staff, restrictive covenants, obligations relating to the keeping of employee documentation, working time systems, as well as other day‑to‑day employment law matters, including terminations.
• Advising on complex employment law matters, including support with the implementation of remote work, the design of employee benefit schemes, the keeping and archiving of employee documentation, protection of employees against unjustified termination of employment, and the drafting and application of work and remuneration regulations.