In the Sejm, first readings have taken place of:

• the Law on supporting parents in their professional activity and child-rearing "Active Parent"
• the Law on protection of whistleblowers
• amendments to the Labour Code

Senators adopted:

• an amendment to the Law on allowances for persons acting as professional foster families and running family-type children's homes - PLN 1,000 gross
• an amendment to the Law, which will enable the government to adopt programmes providing for the payment of an allowance to social assistance workers - PLN 1,000 gross

Both acts passed by the Senate now await the signature of the President of Poland.

The five bills are the result of hard work and effective cooperation between the leadership of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. These are important projects that affect various spheres of life for Polish women and men," stresses Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, Minister for Family, Labour and Social Policy.

Active parent

The "Active Parent" project envisages the introduction into the legal system of three benefits to support parents in their professional activity and in bringing up

and development of the young child: "active parents at work", "active in the nursery" and "active at home".

The bill on supporting parents in their professional activity and child-rearing ''Active Parent'' has been given a positive opinion by the Parliamentary Committee on Social Policy and Family. Members of the committee voted unanimously in favour of the bill.

Allowances for social workers and professional foster families

In turn, the senators voted unanimously in favour of the amendment to the law, which will enable the government to adopt programmes that involve the payment of an allowance

of PLN 1,000 gross to employees in social assistance, foster care and childcare for children under three.

The regulation is intended to enable programmes to be put in place to pay the allowance from 1 July 2024.The solution is expected to cover around 190,000 people.

The Senate also did not bring any revisions to the amending bill to the Law on allowances for persons acting as professional foster families and those running family-type children's homes. These people work on a different basis and are therefore included in a separate bill. The PLN 1 000 gross allowance is also to be paid to them from 1 July 2024.

Details can be found here: https://www.gov.pl/web/family/the-sejm-has-adopted-laws-on-allowances-for-social-welfare-workers-foster-care-workers-crche-carers-and-foster-families

Protection of whistleblowers

The government's bill on the protection of whistleblowers was debated by the Parliamentary Committee on Social Policy and Family.

The new regulation, which aims to protect the common interest, the good name of the employer and the interests of colleagues - is intended to serve people who take risks in the name of concern for the common good.

Details of the Law can be found here: https://www.gov.pl/web/family/the-government-adopted-a-draft-bill-on-the-protection-of-whistleblowers 

Amendments to the Labour Code

An amending bill to the Labour Code concerning the protection of workers from harmful reprotoxic substances has also been referred to a parliamentary committee for work. The bill implements the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of workers from carcinogens or mutagens, amended in March 2022.