In August this year, two EU directives of significance for persons providing work on the basis of employment contracts should be implemented into Polish legislation. The planned amendment to the Labour Code will, above all, promote the equal sharing of childcare responsibilities between men and women by, among other things, encouraging mothers to return to work quickly. The changes also assume, among other things, the introduction of the so-called child care leave and increased flexibility of working time organisation for employees-caregivers of children under 8 years of age.
Right to parental leave
According to the draft amendment to the Labour Code, the length of parental leaves will be changed. According to current regulations, parental leave lasts 32 weeks in the case of giving birth to one child and 34 weeks in the case of a multiple pregnancy. After the changes, it will be 41 weeks in the case of giving birth to one child and 43 weeks in the case of giving birth to two or more children. The duration of parental leave will also be extended in the case where an employee combines the right to take parental leave with working for an employer.
Care leave
The Labour Code will introduce a new type of leave – care leave. It will be an unpaid leave granted at the request of the employee in the amount of 5 days per calendar year, granted in order to provide personal care or support to a person who is a family member or resides in the same household and who requires significant care due to medical reasons.
Exemptions from work
With the amendment of the Labour Code, a new type of exemption from work will also be added to the Polish legislation. Employees will have the possibility to be excused from work for 2 days or 16 hours per calendar year due to force majeure, in urgent family matters caused by illness or accident, if the employee’s immediate presence is necessary. If the employee takes such leave, he/she will be entitled to be paid at half the rate (for the duration of the leave).
The draft law has now been submitted for public consultation. We will inform you immediately about further steps in this matter.
