Remote working - new studies following more than a year of remote working in Poland
Two days from the office and three days from home - this is the most popular remote working model across Europe, according to a recent CBRE study. The report from the study published in July (European Office Occupier Sentiment Survey 2024) indicated that 70% of employees work from the office for two or three days and only 7% work from home four days a week.
These statistics show that European employers' efforts to increase the involvement of office-based work are bearing results. However, as the study's authors highlight, the hybrid remote working model is also a challenge in terms of the introduction of effective management within an organisation.
Polish employers, on the other hand, face another problem in addition to the challenges associated with the hybrid model. Information obtained by Grant Thornton from the State Labour Inspectorate shows that 60% of employers have improperly introduced provisions on remote work. This figure was based on 250 inspections carried out by the SLI from the date the remote working provisions came into force as part of the Labour Code (7 April 2023) until 29 December 2023.
The majority of irregularities were found in terms of:
- obtaining occupational health and safety declarations from employees for the remote working position, such as the employee's declaration of familiarisation with the occupational risk assessment;
- bearing the costs of electricity and telecommunication services necessary for remote working; and
- payment of an allowance or lump sum for the use by employees of their own work tools and materials.