Ostrów Wielkopolski-based manufacturer COM40 confirmed on 8 March 2026 that it will shed 600 positions—around 12 % of its workforce—citing slowing orders from IKEA and rising energy costs. Local outlet OSTROW24.tv reports that many of those affected are Ukrainian and Vietnamese nationals hired over the last three years to keep pace with pandemic-era demand. The timing is painful: from 5 March Poland’s simplified ‘UKR’ employment scheme for Ukrainians transitioned to a full work-permit model. Workers who lose their jobs now have only 30 days to find new sponsorship or file for a change-of-status residence permit, otherwise they must leave the country. Regional NGOs warn that dismissal letters often lack guidance on next immigration steps.
![Furniture giant COM40 lays off 600; foreign workers hardest hit ahead of new compliance regime]()
For foreign staff navigating Poland’s fast-changing permit landscape, VisaHQ can provide much-needed clarity. Its dedicated Poland page (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) lists current work- and residence-permit options, supplies multilingual document checklists and lets users schedule consultations—helping displaced employees and their HR teams submit compliant applications before critical deadlines.
COM40 says it will offer an out-placement package, including Polish-language CV workshops and a legal helpline, but has not committed to covering government fees for new permits. Employer federations note that layoffs in heavy-energy industries could become more frequent if EU carbon costs rise further, making it crucial to streamline the upcoming digital work-permit platform so foreign talent can move quickly between jobs. For HR teams across Poland the case is instructive: termination protocols should include immigration checklists, notification to local Labour Offices and, where possible, coordination with employees’ new sponsors. Failure to do so may expose companies to liability under the new “two-strike” rule that bans repeat offenders from hiring foreigners for two years. Local authorities in Wielkopolska have arranged a bilingual jobs fair on 18 March to match dismissed staff with automotive suppliers in the region that still face labour shortages—an early test of Poland’s ability to recycle foreign skill sets internally rather than lose them to Germany or the Czech Republic.
For foreign staff navigating Poland’s fast-changing permit landscape, VisaHQ can provide much-needed clarity. Its dedicated Poland page (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) lists current work- and residence-permit options, supplies multilingual document checklists and lets users schedule consultations—helping displaced employees and their HR teams submit compliant applications before critical deadlines.
COM40 says it will offer an out-placement package, including Polish-language CV workshops and a legal helpline, but has not committed to covering government fees for new permits. Employer federations note that layoffs in heavy-energy industries could become more frequent if EU carbon costs rise further, making it crucial to streamline the upcoming digital work-permit platform so foreign talent can move quickly between jobs. For HR teams across Poland the case is instructive: termination protocols should include immigration checklists, notification to local Labour Offices and, where possible, coordination with employees’ new sponsors. Failure to do so may expose companies to liability under the new “two-strike” rule that bans repeat offenders from hiring foreigners for two years. Local authorities in Wielkopolska have arranged a bilingual jobs fair on 18 March to match dismissed staff with automotive suppliers in the region that still face labour shortages—an early test of Poland’s ability to recycle foreign skill sets internally rather than lose them to Germany or the Czech Republic.
