“Family is in the centre of attention of the government, and the Family 500 plus is its flagship programme. It is a great success for me and I am very glad that from 1 April families will be able to benefit from the financial support. We also focus on other areas of assistance for the family. Decent work and assistance to the most needy are other issues that we are working on. These actions are the first step in building a coherent pro-family programme,” said Elżbieta Rafalska, Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy.

 

 

Investment in the future of Poland

 

On 17 February, President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, signed the Act on state aid in raising children. The support will cover 2.7 million families, which will receive
PLN 500 for 3.7 million children.

 

The Family 500 plus Programme is PLN 500 per month for each second and subsequent child, with no additional conditions. Families with low income will also receive support for the first or only child, if they meet the criterion of PLN 800 net or PLN 1200 in case of raising a disabled child in the family. That is PLN 6000 net of annual support per child. The programme starts on 1 April.

 

 

Elimination of the so-called first day employment syndrome

 

People who have been working without a written employment contract or without written confirmation of the basic contractual arrangements will now work legally.

 

The necessity to confirm essential arrangements to an employee in writing related to the conclusion of the employment contract is the amendment to the Labour Code proposed by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy.

 

On 25 February, the Act was the subject of a meeting of the Permanent Committee of the Council of Ministers.

 

 

Decent work

 

Since 1 July 2016, the hourly minimum wage of PLN 12 will apply for contracts of mandate and contracts for services.

 

 

The draft Act amending the Act on the minimum wage and the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate also provides for new tasks for the National Labour Inspectorate in the area of control of compliance with the implemented solution. These amendments also mean resignation from the possibility of setting remuneration for people in the first year of employment at the level lower than the minimum wage (but not less than 80% of that remuneration).

 

The bill has undergone public consultation.

 

The hourly minimum wage is a change announced in the exposé of Prime Minister Beata Szydło.

 

 

Help for carers of adults with disabilities

 

Carers of people with disabilities who lost their right to assistance allowance, special care allowance or carer's allowance due to the death of the person cared for, will have the right to receive unemployment benefits and pre-retirement benefits. Such entitlements for carers are provided for in the bill amending the Act on the promotion of employment and labour market institutions and the Act on pre-retirement benefits. On 24 February, the bill was submitted to public consultation.

 

 

Support for retirees and pensioners

 

Along with the March benefits, the retirees and pensioners whose benefits do not exceed PLN 2 thousand will receive a one-time bonus of up to PLN 400. Since in 2016 the indexation of pensions will be at a low level, the government decided to pay one-time bonuses to the lowest benefits.

 

 

New opening in social dialogue

 

The inaugural meeting of the Social Dialogue Council with the participation of Prime Minister Beata Szydło was held on 14 December 2015. The Social Dialogue Council is the new opening in the government-employers-employees relations. It has different powers and objectives than the Tripartite Commission for Socio-Economic Affairs (which it is replacing).

 

 

Help for the poorest

 

From the end of the third quarter of 2016, the implementation of the Food Assistance Operational Programme 2014-2020 (FA OP) will be simplified. This will help partner organisations distributing food to reach people most in need and facilitate the implementation of social inclusion measures. 

 

In order to provide better conditions for the implementation of the FA OP, we are preparing a draft regulation concerning, inter alia, payments to partner organisations. The goal is to facilitate the conditions for their implementation of the Food Assistance Operational Program 2014-2020.