The support package for the entrepreneurs making up the anti-crisis shield has been dynamically implemented for over 2 months. During that time, the amount of support granted has already reached approx. PLN 23.8 billion.

One of the instruments of the anti-crisis shield includes subsidies for remunerations issued from the Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund. Employers submitting applications under this tool can do so in one of two ways. The first method includes covering an employee with a so-called idle time. The second possibility involves a reduction of the working hours. By now, nearly PLN 4.95 billion was granted for the protection of over 1.18 million jobs.

Low interest forgivable loans for micro-entrepreneurs of up to PLN 5 thousand to cover the costs of running current operations are also immensely popular. So far, nearly 1.3 million loans of almost PLN 6.4 billion have been granted.

We should also remember the support granted under the European Social Fund. The support has already reached nearly PLN 2.2 billion in co-financing grants for companies and organisations which employ a total number of 545 thousand people.

The anti-crisis shield also includes an idle time benefit - as of today, it was granted to over 1.4 million people, and the total amount of benefits amounted to over PLN 2.8 billion. These mechanisms also include an exemption from social security contributions in the total amount of PLN 7.4 billion.  

The companies which utilise the aid under the anti-crisis shield know very well how much the support is needed.

Employees may lose their jobs

Andrzej Mioduszewski, President of the Management Board of the city transit company Podlaska Komunikacja Samochodowa Nova Spółka Akcyjna, admits that the company's turnover dropped dramatically after the epidemic was announced.

 - That is mainly due to the fact that the routes were reduced to the bare minimum. The mandatory home quarantine, as well as the temporary limitation of the functioning of the educational facilities, have caused the financial situation of PKS Nova to deteriorate - says the President. He also adds that some long-distance routes have been suspended due to the safety of travellers and drivers.

The employees may now lose their jobs, which would not only translate into their family life, but could also cause serious emotional problems.

- Because not only the fear of a pandemic, but more importantly the anxiety caused by the possibility of losing a source of income would contribute to serious consequences, ranging from anxiety to depression and apathy.  We must remember that human resources are the overarching value for each employer. That is why from the very beginning we focused on looking for opportunities that would allow us to protect the jobs - says Andrzej Mioduszewski.

The anti-crisis shield opened up the possibility of applying for co-financing of part of the costs of employees' remuneration and social security contributions. That support, as the company's president points out, was a key response to the company's needs and it helped the company to maintain employment.

- The city transit company Podlaska Komunikacja Samochodowa Nova received funds from the Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund to subsidise the remuneration of employees affected by economic downtime and reduced working hours. These measures enabled the institution to pay its personnel on time, as we are still running at high costs, which must be covered regardless of our situation. However, due to the support granted under the “shield” we managed to keep all the employees, i.e. 707 people - indicates Andrzej Mioduszewski.

He goes on to assure: we will continue to try to maintain these jobs, hoping for additional aid instruments.

The hotel industry was the first to suffer the consequences. Protection of employees is a priority

Gheorghe Marian Cristescu, President of the Polish Hotel Holding, points out that the hotel industry operates on a “first in first out” principle, i.e. it is the first to feel any crisis or economic slowdown, but it is also one of the first industry which shows a recovery from an economic collapse.

- From the very beginning, the intention of the Polish Hotel Holding was to ensure that the employees are the last ones to feel the effects of the crisis, as people are the key element of our business. In order to preserve jobs, we had to cut working hours by 20 percent, but in order to make our employees feel safe, we decided to give them half of the subsidy received from the state. Thanks to the anti-crisis shield, we received support amounting to several million PLN, which allowed us to reduce our employees' salaries by only about 8%. – says Gheorghe Marian Cristescu.

As emphasized by the President of Polish Hotel Holding “thanks to well-thought-out government solutions and assistance in the form of the anti-crisis and financial shield granted under the Polish Development Fund during this difficult period, we can act in an appropriate manner, preserving jobs and planning future activities of our company.”

Wage subsidies helped to survive the first wave of the crisis

The President of the Management Board of Telmex situated in Bialystok also points towards the need to obtain the support in the current time.

- After the pandemic was announced, the turnover of our company dropped by over 40 percent and our clients suspended further orders. Unfortunately, the company was considering the possibility of dismissing a significant part of its employees. We have utilised the possibility to limit the working hours and to receive employee remuneration subsidies from the Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund which allowed us to preserve jobs and survive the first wave of the crisis - says Jarosław Kondraciuk, President of the company.