Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on the work-life balance for parents and carers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU, commonly referred to as the work-life balance directive, is due to be implemented into the Labour Code by the Polish government.
Work on the final form of the regulations is still in progress and the date of the amended regulations is still pending, however notable amendments will include:
5 days of additional unpaid carers’ leave
Carers’ leave of 5 days will be available to employees to provide care or medical support to a family member or person living in the same household
Additional time off due to force majeure
In urgent family matters caused by illness or accident, employees will be entitled to additional 2 days or 16 hours per calendar year leave from work on grounds of force majeure. For this leave, employees will retain the right to half of their salary.
In terms of parental rights
- parental leave will be extended from 32 weeks to 41 and from 34 weeks to 43 – depending on the number of children born;
- each parent will be granted the exclusive right to 9 weeks of parental leave from the above-mentioned amount. This right is not transferable to the child’s other parent;
- extending from 4 to 8 years of a child’s age the period during which instructions on overtime or posting will require employee consent.
The right to flexible work arrangements
The bill also proposes granting employees who are parents of a child up to the age of 8 the right to flexible work arrangements in the form of telework, an intermittent working time system, a shortened work week system, and weekend work system / flexitime.