Yesterday, the Council of Ministers adopted a draft amendment to the Labor Code, implementing in particular the directives: “work-life balance” and on transparent and predictable working conditions.
According to government information, the changes will primarily concern the following issues.
Holidays
As regards to parental leave, employees will have an individual right to parental leave. A non-transferable part of this leave is to be introduced, up to 9 weeks for each parent.
70% maternity allowance for the entire period of parental leave for both parents will be implemented.
According to the new regulations, an employee will be able to take unpaid care leave (5 days in a calendar year). Leave will be available to provide personal care or support to a relative (son, daughter, mother, father or spouse) or householder who needs care or support for serious medical reasons.
The provisions are to introduce the option of taking leave from work due to force majeure – in urgent family matters, for 2 days or 16 hours in a calendar year. In such a situation, the employee will retain the right to half of the remuneration.
Working time
According to the announcements, a wider use of flexible working arrangements is to be made possible, including through remote work, flexible working time schedules (flexible working time, individual working time schedule, weekend working time system, shortened working week system and interrupted working time) and part-time work time.
Two additional breaks are to be introduced, which will be included in the working time: (the second) at least 15 minutes if the employee’s daily working time is longer than 9 hours and (the third) at least 15 minutes if the employee’s daily working time is longer than 16 hours.
Labor contract
An employee who has been working for at least 6 months will have the right to apply, once a year, for a change in the type of contract – for an employment contract for an indefinite period or for more predictable and safe working conditions. He will also have to receive a written response to this request, together with the reasons.
The scope of information on the conditions of employment of an employee will be extended. For example, information about the right to training or the length of paid leave. This will also apply to an employee sent to work in an EU country or a third country and a posted worker.
It will be, as a rule, prohibited to forbid an employee, in principle, to simultaneously remain in an employment relationship with another employer. There will also be a ban on subjecting an employee to unfavorable treatment on this account.
The employee will have the right to training free of charge and included in the working time, which will be necessary to perform a specific type of work or in a specific position – if the right to such training results from the provisions of the collective labor agreement or other collective agreement or from the regulations or provisions of the labor law.
Further proceeding
Currently, the draft will go to the Sejm. The new solutions are to enter into force 21 days after being published in the Journal of Laws.
We will keep you informed about further progress in the legislative work.
