Poland

Overview of Poland

Poland is located right next to Germany in the centre of Europe. It is the 9^th largest country in Europe with about 800km of seashore and a few mountain ranges. The capital is Warsaw and Poland has a population of 37.97 million. Poland was the first country to re-establish a democracy in 1989 after the communistic reign. The official language is polish and has a very complex grammar due to its 7 cases. Poland is part of the European Union since May 2004 but its currency is Polish zloty.

Polish people are on time and it is expected of visitors as well. Initial meetings take place to see if you are trustworthy and worthy of doing business with. Poles are straightforward but still try to be diplomatic about their answers. Some small-talk and getting to know you is usual at the beginning of a meeting. Business is conducted slowly, so be patient. Polish people are keen to show their English skills but final documents should be in both languages to ensure everything is thoroughly understood.

Currency of Poland

• Złoty

Health Insurance and the Social Security system of Poland

Poland has a mixed healthcare system consisting of public and private. Everyone has to have access to healthcare by law in Poland. The National Health Fund (called Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia) delivers healthcare to all citizens of Poland who are insured. If one works for an employer, one is automatically insured through this. The contributions are mandatory at a rate of about 9% of the income base.

Private healthcare is widely used in Poland.

Employer cost of Poland

The cost for an employer to hire someone in Poland is 22.14% on top of the gross salary.

Salary and bonuses of Poland

In Poland employees are paid monthly.

Commissions, incentives, and bonuses are variable and will be agreed upon directly with the employer.

Public Holidays in Poland

In Poland, there are 9 public holidays.

• January 1^st – New Years Day
• January 6^th – Epiphany
• Sunday in Spring – Easter Sunday
• Monday after Easter – Easter Monday
• May 1^st – May Day
• May 3^rd – Constitution Day
• 7^th Sunday after Easter – Pentecost
• 9^th Thursday after Easter – Corpus Christi
• August 15^th – Assumption of the Blesses Mary
• November 1^st – All Saints Day
• November 11^th – Independence Day
• December 25^th – Christmas
• December 26^th – 2^nd Day of Christmas

Working Hours in Poland

Regular working hours in Poland are from 9am till 5:30pm.

A work week is 40 hours long. A work week cannot exceed 48 hours.

Overtime cannot exceed 150 hours per year. Overtime is paid at 150% for regular overtime. Instead of paying the overtime, employers can also grant the employees time off in exchange.

Vacation in Poland

In Poland one is entitled to 20 days of vacation (4 weeks) if one has been employed for less than 10 years. If one has been employed for more than 10 years, one receives 26 days.

Sick Leave in Poland

When one falls ill in Poland, one receives sick pay from the first day onwards. People covered by the compulsory insurance gain the right to these benefits 30 days after they receive the insurance (the so-called qualifying period). A registered doctor mus confirm the incapacity to work. The employee must then deliver this certificate to his employer no later than 7 days after it is received. Failure to deliver the certificate results in a 25% reduction in sick pay from the 8^th day onwards.

Sick pay is paid by the employer for the first 33 days of the illness. After this period, the sickness allowance is paid by the Social Insurance Institute (ZUS). Sick pay is paid for the entire period in which one is unable to work, but no longer than 182 days.

When one has an accident or illness unconnected to work, one receives 80% of one’s wages. If the accident or illness occurred on the way to or at work, one receives 100% of one’s wages.

Termination/Severance in Poland

When terminating an employee in Poland, there are 3 ways of going about this: termination by mutual agreement, termination with notice and termination without notice.

Termination by mutual agreement can occur at any point in time. For termination with notice, specific time periods need to be observed. If the length of service is less than 6 months, one has a 2 week notice period. If the employee has been with the company between 6 months and 3 years, the notice period is 1 month. When an employee has been with the company for longer than 3 years, the notice period is 3 months.

There is no statutory severance pay unless the company has over 20 employees and these are let go as a collective redundancy.