articles - Labour and employment law

If you are hiring, thinking of hiring individuals in Poland or are yourself interested in being employed in Poland, watch the latest episode of the programme "News from Poland—Business and Law", in which Magdalena Świtajska, partner in the Employment and Global Mobility practice, explains possible options.

News from Poland—Business & Law is a synthesis of important current events in the Polish economy and changes to Polish law, especially those that may concern management board members and affect the risk of serving on boards.

This time Magdalena Świtajska and Aleksandra Wójcik, from Wardyński & Partners’ Employment & Global Mobility Practice, explain the ways of obtaining Polish citizenship. Konrad Grotowski, host of the programme, discusses the current state of the Polish economy.

News from Poland—Business & Law is a synthesis of important current events in the Polish economy and changes to Polish law, especially those that may concern management board members and affect the risk of serving on boards.

Mobbing is a particularly harmful and dangerous phenomenon. It adversely affects employees as well as the employer. Mobbing also negatively affects the work atmosphere and thereby assessment of the employer by present and future staff.

The possibility of issuing medical certificates electronically in Poland arose in 2016, and since 1 December 2018 this has been the only acceptable form of issuing them (paper certificates can be issued only in certain exceptional situations). This also applies to certificates of temporary incapacity to work due to illness, i.e. sick notes. Today, almost every sick note goes directly to the employer, without the employee’s involvement. This may raise doubts whether the employee still needs to inform the employer of his or her absence from work due to sickness.

A bill entitled the Act on Specific Solutions Facilitating Business Operations During the COVID-19 Epidemic has been filed with the Sejm. It would allow employers in Poland to demand information from employees about COVID-19 test results, having undergone a COVID-19 infection, or vaccination against COVID-19.

According to the proposal, an employer would be entitled to demand information from an employee or a person in a civil-law relationship (e.g. a contractor) to the effect that the person has obtained a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours before submission of the information.

Work is underway on a bill implementing the EU’s Whistleblower Directive (2019/1937). It is not yet clear whether the directive will be implemented into Polish law on time (by 17 December 2021), but many companies are already drafting the necessary documents and organisational procedures.