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On 6 June 2023 the EU Pay Transparency Directive came into force. EU member states have until 7 June 2026 to implement the provisions of it into national law.
The provisions of the Directive are meant to enforce gender pay equality in member states and prevent wage gaps.
The most important employer obligations under the Directive are:
- an obligation to inform job applicants of an initial pay level or range of pay envisaged for a job based on objective and gender-neutral criteria;
- gender pay gap reporting obligations for companies (both public and private companies) employing more than 100 persons.
As a result of the Directive, it will be necessary for the employers to review recruitment processes, job descriptions, and remuneration policies in terms of gender-neutral remuneration criteria.
Workers will obtain a right to information on the pay levels of employees doing the same work or work of equal value.
On 29 May 2023 the Polish President signed a bill into law[1] that amends what is often called the Ukrainian Special Act[2], and extends till 4 March 2024 the date until when Ukrainian citizens may legally stay in Poland, if they entered the country due to the ongoing war.
Following the implementation of two EU directives - Directive 2019/1152 and Directive 2019/1158, from 23 May 2023, employers will have to include the following information in the employment certificate relating to the calendar year in which their employment ceased:
- the employee's use of a new type of leave of absence on grounds of force majeure for urgent family matters caused by illness or accident and specified in Article 1481 of the Labour Code;
- the employee's use of the care leave specified in Article 1731 of the Labour Code, given to provide personal care or support to a person who is a family member or living in the same household and who requires care or support for serious medical reasons;
- days of 'occasional' remote work specified in Article 6733 of the Labour Code.
The Regulation of the Minister of Family and Social Policy of 9 May 2023 amending the Regulation on employee documentation (Journal of Laws, item 879) has been published in the Journal of Laws. The proposed amendments result from the implementation of two EU directives - Directive 2019/1152 and Directive 2019/1158. The Regulation will enter into force on 17 May 2023.
The Mazovian Province Authority’s Department of Foreigners’ Affairs is organising a series of Information Saturdays. During the Information Saturdays, one can obtain information on cases that the office is processing (including having individual consultations in particular cases), as well as take part in consultation sessions led by external bodies (foundations).
End of Legal Residency Based on Covid Extensions?
The Ministry of Health envisages the abolition of the state of epidemic threat as of 30 June 2023. This will affect the situation of many foreigners residing in Poland.
Pursuant to the Covid Act (i.e. the Act of 2 March 2020 on Specific Solutions Related to the Prevention, Countering and Combating COVID-19, Other Infectious Diseases and Crisis Situations Caused Thereby), the period of legal residence, the deadlines for leaving the territory of the Republic of Poland and the validity of held residence documents have been extended until the 30th day following the day of cancellation of the current state of epidemic threat.