Eastern Europe – What’s new in employment law in 2019

This article, originally published in the HRDirector on 10 April 2019, provides an overview of recent developments and proposed changes in employment law in Bulgaria, Finland, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia and Slovakia. BULGARIA Employers’ obligations under the new Disability Act On 18 December 2018, the Bulgarian Parliament enacted the new Disability Act, according to which employers in Bulgaria are required to hire disabled workers according to…

Poland: Electronic sick leave certificate not permitted

In Poland, employees who are absent from work must notify their employers of their absence and this obligation still applies if the employer also automatically receives an electronic sick leave certificate. If an employee is absent from work, he or she has two independent obligations: To notify the employer of the cause of the absence and its expected duration (which should be done immediately, and…

Poland: Employment law implications of the new trade secrets law

Poland has introduced new rules on the definition and disclosure of trade secrets. This article sets out the main points for employers to consider. New regulations on trade secrets have been in force in Poland since 4 September 2018. This entails several important changes for employers. The previous regulation that limited former employees’ non-disclosure obligations to three years from termination of employment is gone. This…

Poland: new flexible working rights for parents of disabled children

Employees who are parents of disabled children or children who have special educational needs will now have the right to request flexible working time, and in some circumstances, remote working arrangements under a recent amendment to the Polish Labour Code. On 6 June 2018, an amendment to the Labour Code came into force, aimed at supporting employees who are parents of disabled children. The amendment…

Poland: trade union protection extended to contractors

New legislation means that workers in Poland employed using more flexible, task-based ‘civil law contracts’ will be entitled to join or form trade unions and to benefit from protection previously reserved for trade union members. On 5 July 2018 the Polish Parliament adopted amendments to the Act on Trade Unions and certain other acts. According to the new provisions, from January 2019, individuals in Poland…

Poland – Financial industry employers can inquire about criminal records

New regulations came into force in Poland on 27 June allowing companies in the financial sector to enquire about the criminal record of their employees and candidates and to act on the information received. On 27 June 2018, new regulations came into force that make it possible for employees in the financial sector to make enquiries about the criminal records of job candidates and employees….

Poland – The Employment Law Outlook For 2018

This article provides a brief summary of the major developments in employment law that have already taken place, or are scheduled or announced in Poland in 2018. Sunday trade ban A partial ban on Sunday trade was introduced as of 1 March 2018 and will be gradually extended. In 2018, it does not include the first and last Sunday of the month and the Sundays…

Poland: Employment Law Review 2017

This article is a short overview of the most significant changes to employment law that took place in Poland in 2017. 1. Monthly minimum wage raised and night allowance changed (from 1 January 2017) In January 2017 the monthly minimum wage became PLN 2,000 gross, including additional associated benefits (e.g. an increased allowance for night work and an increase to statutory severance pay). This applies…