1. Recently, there was a press release with the title “Every second employee whoHe did not get a raise, he will change jobs in 2020″. Do you share this opinion?

This thesis seems too radical. According to our reports, about 25% of employees changed their jobs last year, almost half of whom were motivated by financial reasons. Poles are reluctant to ask for a raise or promotion from their current employer. As many as 35% prefer to change jobs, considering it an easier way to improve employment conditions. In 2020, we expect that employee turnover will continue to occur, as there is still a lot of demand for employees on the market, especially in certain industries, and thus competition among employers. However, it should be noted that 2020 may be less optimistic from the point of view of employees than 2019. Companies are anxiously noting the signs of the deteriorating economic situation in Poland, but also in Germany, our main economic partner in Europe. The Grant Thornton study “Employers’ plans for 2020” shows that the percentage of employers planning wage increases fell to 20% compared to 36% in 2019. We can already see a slowdown in the pace of wage growth, but there is no doubt that in many industries pay rises will still be necessary to retain key or hard-to-reach employees. Ultimately, a lot will depend on the state of the economy. If there is indeed a significant slowdown, the market situation will cool down the aspirations of employees for pay rises and to take the risk of changing jobs.

2. In which industries in Poland can you freely change jobs today – if you don’t get a raise?

The largest shortage of employees is among qualified manual workers, in the manufacturing, transport, construction and IT industries. Considerable demand can also be seen in the medical-care, financial and generally speaking service sectors.

Qualified production workers are the most sought-after: welders, locksmiths, electricians, mechanics, electromechanics, machine tool operators, but also clothing production workers and tailors. Equally high demand is observed in the positions of bus and truck drivers over 3.5 tons, construction vehicles, but also among health care workers – from doctors, through nurses, to massage therapists, physiotherapists, midwives.

Our experience shows that the market still records a large shortage of IT specialists, e.g. programmers or developers, and engineers, e.g. biotechnologists, production technologists, as well as analysts, business intelligence specialists or independent accountants. Customer service people who speak many foreign languages are still in demand in the services.

When it comes to physical work, there are a lot of offers for warehouse workers, forklift operators, and in the construction industry, where concrete workers and steel fixers, pavers, carpenters and carpenters, roofers and sheet metal workers, building installation fitters, bricklayers and plasterers, earthmoving equipment mechanics, finishing workers and construction workers are in demand.

It is obvious that the demand for specialists is increasing with the development of specific fields and market segments, currently m.in robotization and automation, e-commerce, or energy and ecology. In the coming years, companies will therefore be looking for automation specialists, robotics and mechatronics engineers, people to work in the e-commerce industry, or for positions related to the energy sector and ecology.

At the same time, due to the still prevailing employee market in Poland, HR and employer branding specialists have great opportunities to find a job. There is a need to increase recruitment competences in combination with building an attractive image of the company as an employer.

Therefore, people with qualifications corresponding to the positions listed here have the greatest negotiating power, but taking into account the economic situation in the country and the economic condition of enterprises, it should not be expected that companies will be as submissive to pay rises as it was in 2018-2019.

3. In which industries is it difficult to negotiate raises today, and changing jobs is not easy at all?

Due to the general shortage of workers on the Polish labour market, there are few surplus professions, although currently it is by far the most difficult for economists to find a job, especially if we are talking about secondary vocational education. Typically humanistic positions that may also have problems finding a job are: pedagogues, sociologists, social research specialists, philosophers, historians, political scientists and cultural scientists. In order to be competitive on the labour market, people who have completed studies in these fields should broaden their qualifications, e.g. with knowledge of foreign languages.

Some difficulties in changing jobs may also be encountered by people applying for top positions, such as managers and directors. There are relatively few offers of this type on the market, and companies often offer them to their existing employees by way of promotion. The average time of looking for a job for a lower-level position in Poland is currently about 2 months, while it takes about a year on average for managers and directors. It is worth noting, however, that senior staff most often do not change jobs for financial reasons, but rather because they want to develop further.

4. What awaits the Polish labour market this year – what challenges are ahead of it?

The demographic decline, which is already noticeable today, causes difficulties in reaching qualified staff. At the same time, there is a noticeable increase in the requirements of candidates towards a potential employer, they expect higher salaries, additional benefits and friendly working conditions. One of the very important factors, the role of which has recently increased significantly, has become an attractive and convenient location of the workplace. This is especially evident in larger cities, where covering longer distances every day takes too much time.

Recruitment will therefore remain a difficult task. A recruiter must de facto transform into a salesperson who consciously and skillfully searches for customers (candidates) and sells them a service, i.e. a job offer, using modern tools and technologies.

The current situation on the labor market forces entrepreneurs to answer an important question: what to invest in to achieve success in the area of HR: in the expansion of the internal HR department or in cooperation with external employment agencies? Both HR departments and employment agencies go hand in hand in the search for candidates. So there can be only one answer – in order to meet the increasingly demanding labor market, it is worth betting on the synergy of both these areas. Among our clients, we observe significant investments in HR departments, but the teams are not expanded with more recruiters, but with Employer Branding or internal communication specialists. The focus is definitely shifting from the recruitment zone to employee retention and building the company’s image as a friendly employer. This is starting to be the main focus of HR departments.

Acquiring employees has become such a time-consuming and expensive undertaking that it turns out to be a more optimal solution to commission recruitment to an agency, or even outsourcing entire processes or functions in the company. Flexible forms of employment, such as temporary work and outsourcing services, are becoming increasingly important in the face of an uncertain economic situation. Companies use them preventively, preparing for an economic slowdown. They want to be able to react faster to changing market conditions and ensure greater business security.

A comprehensive employment agency can flexibly meet the personnel needs of the company. LeasingTeam Group, as a group of companies with different HR competences, designs individual employee management strategies for clients, which include talent recruitment, but also personnel outsourcing or temporary employment services. This allows customers to consciously and safely develop their business.

A statement was given by:

Weronika Jarosz, Business Development Specialist at LeasingTeam Group

Companies in Poland employ an increasing number of foreigners, most often citizens of Ukraine. Regulations on the legalization of stay and work of foreigners, although they may seem obvious, are not at all in terms of labor law. Knowing them is crucial to legally employ employees and not to expose yourself to unpleasant legal consequences.

So what are the basic issues that the employer should know and remember when hiring a foreigner?

Do you have doubts? Do you need support in legalizing the stay and work of foreigners, or maybe you need support in recruiting them? Contact us! Fill out the form.

From 01.03.2020, a new law on the inflow of professional labour (Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz) will come into force in our western neighbours, which is to facilitate the employment in Germany by citizens of non-EU countries.

Economic situation in Germany

Although the demand for employees in Germany is high, the last quarters of 2019 brought a decrease in the number of vacancies. In Q3 last year, there were 1.36 million, which is 30,000 fewer than in Q2. According to Bloomberg, the latest data on orders in German industry are also not optimistic, and are an important indicator forecasting the volume of future production. December 2019 saw an unexpected decline of as much as 8.7% year-on-year, the downward trend continues for the 19th consecutive month, and the pace of decline is the fastest in more than a decade. Therefore, it is in vain to look for signs of revival or even stabilization. Therefore, the current condition of the German economy is not conducive to employment growth.

Facilitation, but not for everyone

As for the provisions of the act itself, the facilitations apply only to qualified employees, i.e. people with higher education or with specific professional qualifications, and concern the abolition of the obligation to examine the priority right (checking whether a given job can be taken up by a German or EU citizen) and the abolition of restrictions on specific professions (Engpassberufe). At the same time, the new regulation imposes important requirements that a candidate must meet in order to take up a job, i.e. have documented professional qualifications and/or education equivalent to German, demonstrate knowledge of German at least at B1 level (only 2-4% of Ukrainian citizens know it at this level), and have the means to live until they earn their first income.

Verification of whether the candidate meets the requirements imposed by law means the need to properly organize the entire process on the German side. Meanwhile, there is still no detailed information about the coordination points examining applications for recognition of qualifications, or about the introduction of a digitized procedure and the implementation of an accelerated procedure for employers.

The high initial costs they have to bear are also a factor inhibiting the mass influx of candidates from outside the EU to Germany. On the one hand, these are the costs of stay (before the candidate completes all the procedures, obtains a temporary residence permit for the purpose of work, which can take several weeks, and finally takes up work and receives the first salary), on the other hand, these are the administrative costs related to obtaining the necessary permits, e.g. translation costs, which can amount to several hundred euros. Regardless of the initial investments, a visiting employee must also take into account the high current costs of living, renting an apartment or transport. Therefore, despite the potential attractiveness of the German labour market, the actual profit of employees does not have to differ significantly from that in Poland in a similar position.

Employees and employment agencies from Ukraine are of course interested in working in Germany, but the conditions mentioned here are objective barriers, often insurmountable. An additional difficulty is the lack or insufficient knowledge of German labor law, lack of knowledge about employment conditions, work rules and business culture. This means that there is a great need to educate the Ukrainian market in this area.

Destabilization of the Polish labor market?

So, is Poland threatened by the destabilization of the labor market caused by the mass economic emigration of Ukrainians to Germany? In the short and medium term, the Polish market should not record an outflow of staff, especially because Ukrainian citizens work in Poland mainly in the blue collar segment, and the German law opens up opportunities only for highly qualified and educated employees. In addition, although the prospect of working in Germany seems tempting, the theoretical advantages overshadow the practical obstacles: high costs and procedural requirements that neither employees nor recruitment companies in Ukraine are and will not be ready for in the coming years.

To sum up, although the penetration of the labour market in our western neighbour will soon begin and it can be assumed that it will gradually grow over the next 2-3 years, it will not be a labour market achievable for everyone. According to experts, the real outflow of workers from Ukraine to Germany is a perspective of at least 5 years. Similar conclusions were unanimously reached by HRM industry experts at the recently concluded (January 24 this year) Meet UA Summit conference.

Weronika Jarosz
Business Development Specialist at LeasingTeam Group

Although from the employer’s perspective, cooperation with a personnel consulting agency usually has one goal – to attract the best possible candidates from the market, in reality the supplier’s activities also strongly affect the client’s employer branding, which is so important in a situation of a shortage of qualified employees.

Employment agency as the first point of contact with the employer

Employer branding (EB) is a vast and multi-threaded issue on the border of 3 fields: HR, PR and marketing. It applies equally to internal activities addressed to employees and external activities addressed to potential candidates. In both cases, the goal is similar – to convince the target group that a given employer is trustworthy and it is worth tying up with them for a long time. There are many ways to achieve your goal, starting from a professionally prepared career website and interesting advertising campaigns, through participation in fairs, ambassador programs, proper onboarding, ending with transparent internal communication, clear career paths or taking care of a positive atmosphere at work. This raises the question of what role a personnel consulting agency plays in these activities.

First of all, the recruitment partner is largely responsible for the candidate experience, i.e. the professional conduct of the entire process: reaching out to candidates, thorough preparation for interviews, ongoing feedback, and finally providing feedback along with its argumentation. The agency is therefore the first point of contact between the candidate and the employer’s brand, and thus has a huge impact on the client’s employer branding. Therefore, as part of the LeasingTeam Group, before starting a project, we always try to learn about detailed guidelines related to the client’s EB strategy, the company’s values and the way of communication. This allows us to ensure a consistent and expected recruitment process. In the current market reality, when in most industries the number of qualified employees is lower than the demand, the role of agencies in this area takes on additional importance, and in the case of mass recruitment it cannot be overestimated.

Speaking of mass recruitment, it is also worth mentioning temporary workers. Although they are formally employed by an employment agency, the fact is that they strongly identify with the employer-user, because it is for him that they perform work on a daily basis. As a result, they have a huge potential to spread a positive (or negative) opinion about the company. In this case, the employment agency plays an even more important role from the point of view of implementing the client’s EB strategy, because it is not only responsible for recruiting employees, but also has regular and constant contact with them throughout their employment, indirectly influencing their opinion about the employer-user.

Examples of synergy between recruitment and EB activities

Employment agencies, conducting regular recruitment processes, understand the labor market well, additionally having a huge potential of candidates. In order to get the one, the best one, they perform many activities aimed at a wide target group. By using the synergy of activities, as part of the recruitment process, it is possible to implement various elements of EB activities, e.g. promotion of recruitment videos, organization of dedicated meetings for candidates or mini-trainings – and thus not only interest potential employees in a specific job offer, but also in the company itself.

A few months ago, as part of LeasingTeam Professional, we supported our regular client in organizing a very interesting recruitment initiative. It was a kind of “date” with a future employer. Our task was to recruit a dozen or so candidates, in line with the designated competences and skills, while promoting the entire project among the target group.

Within 2.5 hours, the invited people had the opportunity to present their passions, views, dreams, but also to get to know

of our client – the way the organization and its key employees operate. All in a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. What is more, candidates learned about the effect of the recruitment process on the same day.

The recruitment meeting was divided into 5 sections:

1 – Introduction (45 min.) during which the candidate got to know the company, organizational culture, and beliefs of the future employer.

2 – Knowledge workshop (15 min.), during which participants divided into groups were tasked with discussing a selected business topic – knowledge, opinions and the strength of argumentation counted.

3 – Soft skills workshop (15 min.), the aim of which was to discover cognitive, communication and behavioural skills while solving puzzles.

4 – Video workshop (5 min.), during which the candidate showed the real self through spontaneous and quick answers to several questions.

5 – Interview (10 min.), during which the candidate met directly with HR and business, being able to intrigue them with their thoughts, ideas, and passions.

An unusual recruitment meeting turned out to be a bull’s eye. Candidates gained new experience, got to know the employer well, and were able to empirically assess whether they fit into the organization. The client, on the other hand, found future employees, presented the company in an attractive way, but also showed that recruitment does not always have to be the same, predictable way.

It is worth using the potential

Although it is true that the main goal of a personnel consulting agency was and is to recruit the right employee, it is worth remembering that it can also effectively support clients in employer branding activities. Many companies still do not use this potential, missing dozens of promotional opportunities every day.

For the Home & Market magazine: Agnieszka Haponik, Marketing Director at LeasingTeam Group

2019 was full of changes in HR and payroll regulations. For employers, the biggest problem was the pace of their introduction imposed by the legislator. Companies had limited time to adapt to the newly established regulations, which increased the burden on internal HR departments. There are no officially confirmed changes for 2020 yet, but the media are already speculating about them, m.in. about full social security contributions for all mandate contracts or early retirement, after 35 years of work.

The most important changes in 2019

An important change was the relief for young taxpayers, i.e. exemption from income tax for people up to 26 years of age. This translates directly into higher earnings for young people, without increasing the burden on enterprises. Combined with the creation of more and more jobs offering flexible time and forms of employment, this gives an opportunity to mobilize the youngest workers, who, compared to Europe, are among the least economically active. With a significant shortage of employees on the labor market, this change may turn out to be a beneficial solution for everyone.

– Our observations show that in recent months young people have actually been more positive and mobilized to take up professional activity, especially students, for whom the gross amount is equal to the net. More and more of them use flexible forms of employment: temporary work, contracts of mandate, which make it easier to combine learning with work and free time, and also allow them to verify the attractiveness of a given position or company – says Anna Jurkiewicz, Regional Outsourcing Manager from the LeasingTeam Professional HR consulting agency.

Beneficial changes for employees, not burdening employers, included the reduction of the income tax rate for the first income threshold (to PLN 85,528 per year) from 18% to 17% and the increase of tax-deductible costs to PLN 250 per month (previously PLN 111.25) and to PLN 300 per month for commuters (previously PLN 139.06). Both changes have increased the amount of employee payments. The only aspect that cast a shadow over the amendment to the Act was the pace of its introduction. Employers had very little time to implement changes, such as updating or purchasing new HR and payroll software.

Another change is the introduction of Employee Capital Plans (PPK), i.e. a systemic accumulation of savings for employees. The legislator has imposed an obligation on workplaces to sign an agreement for the operation of the ECP, and thus to transfer payments to a financial institution to secure pension funds for working citizens. Participation in the ECP is associated with an additional cost for the employer and a lower net payment for the employee. The first one is obliged to make contributions to the ECP min. 1.5% of the employee’s salary, the other – min. 2% of your salary).

– ECPs are associated with a large number of additional payroll and administrative obligations. We observe that even large companies often have problems with this, and in 2020 the same obligation will be imposed on medium-sized companies, in which HR and payroll departments are often not as numerous as in large companies – comments Monika Rutowska, Head of the HR and Payroll Department at LeasingTeam.

Among the new regulations, it is also worth mentioning the protection of remuneration claims. This change applies to contractors. If the remuneration for the commissioned activities is the only source of their income and is cyclical, the principal must apply a limitation of the amount free from deductions, which means a lower profit for the employee.

In 2019, several other changes were also introduced, but they had a much smaller impact on the labor market. The employer has been authorised to require the employee to indicate the bank account number for payment of remuneration, although at the employee’s request he may also receive remuneration in cash. For contracts concluded from 01.01.2019, the requirement of a 10-year storage period for HR and payroll documentation has been established. Changes have been made to the keeping of personal files (parts A, B, C and D). Telework has theoretically become possible for every employee – regardless of the provisions in the regulations of companies, anyone can apply for remote work, but the employer is not obliged to give consent or change the rules of work organization. In the field of occupational health and safety – periodic training for an administrative and office employee is not required if the type of the employer’s predominant activity is in risk category not higher than III, unless the occupational risk assessment shows that it is necessary.

HR and payroll forecasts for 2020

It is impossible to precisely predict what 2020 will bring, but the Polish government has already announced an amendment to selected points of the Labour Code, e.g. in the field of working time or the type of contracts. By 2022, Polish labour law must also adapt to 2 EU directives: on transparent and predictable working conditions (e.g. the rules of employment for a trial period will have to be modified), on reconciling professional and family responsibilities (the obligation to provide at least 2 months of parental leave to be used only for fathers). At the moment, we do not know the exact assumptions of the changes, but based on the general suggestions of the government, it is possible to indicate 2 areas that are likely to be subject to work in the near future.

The most common topic is the issue of more detailed regulation of employment under civil contracts, self-employment or work through platforms such as Uber (in the latter case, the regulations should be created from scratch). In each case, it is largely about sealing payments to the social security system, e.g. it has already been announced that social security contributions will be calculated on each contract of mandate. From the point of view of both employers and employees, this change is not beneficial – it will increase labour costs in enterprises and reduce the current net wages. Therefore, it can be expected that as a result it will discourage companies from using flexible forms of employment, and thus force restructuring and reducing the number of employees.

Another fundamental change in 2020 is to be early retirement, possible at the age of 53 for women and 58 for men. An important element of the earlier use of pension benefits is to be the length of service, which the future pensioner will have to skilfully calculate and submit this information to the Social Insurance Institution. Employers assess this proposal of change very negatively, because it will noticeably limit access to employees on the market, which is already extremely low, and will also significantly reduce the value of benefits paid to pensioners (fewer years of service = lower value of contributions paid = lower benefit).

– It is difficult to predict what 2020 will bring us, but 2019 has shown that the unexpected is to be expected. Entrepreneurs seem to come to similar conclusions. More and more often they ask us about outsourcing HR and payroll services. This is indeed an optimal solution, because the responsibility for tracking changes, their quick introduction, and updating HR tools rests with the service provider. This cannot be overestimated, especially in the face of difficult and unexpected circumstances, which specialized external companies can deal with much more efficiently – comments Monika Rutowska, Head of the HR and Payroll Department at LeasingTeam.

What did the Polish HRM market look like in 2019? What trends in the area of recruitment and employee management should continue, and which have not come true and will expire? What awaits the market in 2020?

The HRM industry is evolving, and with it the way HR consulting agencies operate. Employers more and more often expect a comprehensive approach to cooperation, requiring solutions that combine the scope of several separate services, e.g. permanent recruitment, outsourcing of services or temporary work. Candidates and employees, on the other hand, need advice on their own development or recommendations on benefits. With the changing market, in 2020 HR consulting agencies will have to redefine and adapt their role to the expectations of clients.

TEMPORARY WORK: STILL ON A ROLL

Although the continuing employee market and the tightening of time limits for the use of temporary work by user employers have resulted in declines in the number of people working in this legal formula, the temporary employment market remains stable and the demand among customers is not decreasing. Let us remember that the saturation of the Polish temporary employment market at the level of 1.2% is still below the European average of 1.9%1.

– On the one hand, withWe believe that clients are increasingly using the Try & Hire service, i.e. after a few or several months they hire proven and trained temporary employees on a permanent basis, and some companies even immediately outsource the recruitment of permanent employees to agencies. On the other hand, however, the share of temporary work is still growing wherever there is seasonality, especially in the era of rising labour costs (PPK, minimum wage in 2020 higher by 15.6% compared to 2019) and the uncertain economic situation in Poland and globally – comments Marcin Ostrowski, Sales Director at LeasingTeam Group.

The demand for the broadly understood outsourcing of a process or function is also constantly increasing. – This form of cooperation is an extremely beneficial solution in the logistics, manufacturing, share service or e-commerce industries, i.e. wherever we can settle for the effect. Well-prepared and implemented outsourcing gives the client measurable benefits and time savings. Despite many advantages, the share of outsourcing is not growing as fast as we expected, m.in. because it is not always possible to apply it where temporary work has been operating so far. This is another proof that temporary work is needed and will not disappear from the market – adds Edyta Kowalczyk, Key Account Director at LeasingTeam Group.

RECRUITMENT: STILL NOT AN EASY TASK

The demographic decline, which is already noticeable today, undoubtedly makes it difficult to recruit employees, especially when it comes to qualified staff with specific skills or qualifications. The demand for employees in individual industries has been similar for years. IT specialists, engineers, blue-collar workers or people who speak many foreign languages are invariably in demand. Staff shortages in these areas are increasingly a big problem for employers.

At the same time, in 2019, there was a noticeable increase in the requirements of candidates towards a potential employer. Candidates expect higher salaries, additional benefits and friendly working conditions. One of the very important factors, the role of which has recently increased significantly, has become an attractive and convenient location of the workplace. This is especially evident in larger cities, where covering longer distances every day takes too much time.

Reaching the right candidates and then acquiring them is an increasing challenge for recruiters. Their task is no longer just to present an offer to the employer. In order to encourage and convince a person who is not thinking about changing jobs at all to participate in the recruitment process – they must demonstrate extensive sales skills, thorough knowledge of the offer and a high level of interpersonal skills. The need to reach out to passive candidates also makes recruitment marketing particularly important, as it can be used to reach candidates and interest them in the offer in an unconventional way. The range of modern tools used in recruitment processes is also expanding.

– The new generations on the labour market, accustomed to using the latest technological solutions, are forcing employers and recruiters to change the way they recruit. The use of modern tools not only shortens the time of its implementation, but – most importantly – helps to attract the best candidates. It is also an element of building a positive image of the company as an employer – notes Anna Formela, Recruitment Director at LeasingTeam Professional. And he adds: – Undoubtedly, progress in the development of artificial intelligence will have a major impact on the situation on the labor market. Already today, many organizations use the so-called chatbots, which help reduce the time provided for the completion of a given task. They are also used by some companies in the recruitment process.

Permanent recruitment is currently quite a challenge, but there are also signals in the media that the end of the so-called employee market is approaching. Companies, fearing the deterioration of the economic situation in the country, take into account the possible need to reduce employment, which is manifested, m.in by an increase in interest in the outplacement service – At the end of 2019, we already had several such inquiries. Customers want to have an overview in the event of a sudden deterioration in the economic situation. This proves that companies are increasingly aware of human capital management and an attempt to stay ahead of market changes. We cannot yet talk about an increased demand for outplacement, but the situation is dynamic and everything will depend on the condition of the economy in 2020 – comments Anna Formela.

WORKERS FROM UKRAINE: NO WORRIES ABOUT THE OUTFLOW

In the face of the shortage of local workers, in recent years the Polish market has been willing to use people from Ukraine. Currently, they are a large group that is increasingly aware of their rights. They pay more attention to rates, employment and accommodation conditions. “Poland is a market that Ukrainians know and where they feel safe, so it can be assumed that they will continue to be active in Poland. In addition, the recent increase in the lowest national hourly rate may make it easier to attract candidates for lower-paying projects, but offering a large number of hours, i.e. 200 per month – says Joanna Januchta, Head of Foreign Market Development at LeasingTeam.

Contrary to earlier fears, the situation should not be significantly changed by the new regulations that will come into force in March this year in Germany, as part of the law on the influx of professional labour (Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz), which facilitates the employment of non-EU citizens. In practice, the number of people who can benefit from this will be limited. Although there is no official information yet on how the verification of non-EU citizens will be carried out, we already know that a number of requirements are imposed on potential candidates: documented professional qualifications or education equivalent to German must be presented, knowledge of German at least at B1 level is necessary, and a candidate from outside the European Union must also have a livelihood for the period until the first income is obtained.

– The candidate must take into account both high costs of stay and obtaining the necessary permits, e.g. the costs of translations can amount to several hundred euros, as well as at least a few weeks of waiting for a temporary residence permit in order to perform work.In addition, it is not at all obvious that nominally higher wages in Germany will offset the high cost of living, especially since the German employer, unlike the Polish one, usually does not offer accommodation to the employee – explains Anna Macheta, Development Director at CPC Consulting Group – the LeasingTeam Group company responsible for cross-border posting of workers to Germany.

Fears about economic emigration of Ukrainians to Germany are therefore proving premature and unfounded. The same conclusions were reached by experts at this year’s Meet UA Summit conference, which took place on January 24 in Kyiv. They agreed that Poland is not threatened by a massive and sudden outflow of workers from Ukraine in the next few years. In addition to the significant costs associated with taking up work in Germany, the entities of the Ukrainian labour market (employment agencies and employees) are not ready for such a change. They do not know the German language, the rules of posting or German labour law. A barrier for them is also the completely different business culture prevailing beyond our western border.

HR AND PAYROLL: CHANGES, CHANGES

The year 2019 was very demanding in terms of HR and payroll services for employees. It was marked by permanent change. – New regulations They entered very quickly, not giving time for proper preparation and causing unnecessary panic among employers. It is enough to mention, for example, the requirement to reduce the advance payment for income tax from 18% to 17%. In a hurry, within a few weeks, companies had to implement new solutions, e.g. with Update or purchase new HR and payroll software.Although the imposed pace of change forced companies to provide immediate education and full mobilization, it also entailed additional personnel and financial burdens ,” comments Monika Rutowska, Head of the HR and Payroll Department at LeasingTeam.

Will we face similar situations in 2020? – It is difficult to predict, but 2019 has shown that the unexpected should be expected. Entrepreneurs seem to come to similar conclusions. More and more often they ask us about outsourcing HR and payroll services. This is actually an optimal solution, because The responsibility for tracking changes, their quick implementation, and updating HR tools rests with the service provider. This cannot be overestimated, especially in the face of difficult and unexpected circumstances, which specialized external companies can cope with much more efficiently – sums up Monika Rutowska.

Although the pace of introduction of new regulations in 2019 raised concerns, some of them are beneficial for the labour market, as they may affect the professional activation of Polish citizens, in particular the youngest generation entering the labour market. And this is very important, because Poland has one of the lowest rates of economic activity in Europe.

The key change was the relief for young taxpayers introduced in the summer, i.e. exemption from income tax for people under 26 years of age. So far, many of them have given up employment options, explaining lack of time or low wages. Currently, more and more jobs are being created that offer flexible time and forms of employment, and the tax exemption has significantly increased the salaries of young people. Working on the basis of a contract of mandate, not only do they not pay PIT, but they receive the equivalent of the gross rate. The activation of young people gives hope for eliminating staff shortages, e.g. we can already see greater interest in temporary work in the white collar segment, i.e. office workers.

Another change that had a mobilizing impact on the labor market was the reduction of the income tax advance from 18% to 17% for people with income up to PLN 85,528 per year as of October 1, 2019. At the same time, the amount of tax-deductible costs was increased to PLN 250 per month (previously PLN 111.25) and PLN 300 per month for commuters (previously PLN 139.06). From the perspective of both employees and employers, these changes are beneficial. The labour market has been waiting for them for a long time, especially the increase in tax-deductible costs, which were disproportionately low compared to those incurred in real terms and have remained unchanged for 11 years, despite significant changes in the economy and the labour market.

1) Economic Report 2018 Edition

In the opinion of managers, the last 15 years have shown that CSR has a significant impact on the way business operates in Poland. Over 81% of respondents agree with this1. Contrary to appearances, CSR activities not only improve the image of the organization, but also bring many additional benefits.

CSR affects HR on many levels

CSR helps in recruitment. People are increasingly looking for companies that share the same life principles as them, with which they can identify and do important things together. Candidates feel safer when the company they plan to work with has clear rules of conduct, in accordance with the generally accepted principles of corporate social responsibility. However, CSR not only helps in recruitment, but also reduces turnover. Joint actions strongly integrate teams – people get to know each other better, strengthen bonds, have a common goal that they strive for, supporting each other. And let’s remember that in most surveys, a good atmosphere in the company is indicated as one of the key factors influencing the assessment of the employer and its attractiveness.

Another often overlooked benefit of corporate social responsibility is the fact that it teaches time management. Actions that require the coordination of many people, attractions, suppliers, strongly mobilize. People spontaneously learn to organize their work better, choose leaders of given projects, and feel responsible for the end result. Having learned this during a CSR campaign, there is a great probability that they will translate the acquired competences into everyday work in the organization.

Hundreds of ways to help

The Christmas period is full of various social campaigns, in which companies are actively involved, sometimes even initiating them, such as LeasingTeam, which created the Children’s Joy Foundation, under which it organizes a joyful Christmas Eve every year for the charges of the Municipal Social Welfare Center in Piaseczno and children from orphanages. During the all-day fun, children receive huge packages from the hands of Santa Claus himself and can take advantage of numerous attractions. Almost all employees of LeasingTeam Group are involved in the organization of the Happy Christmas Eve. – Our employees rose to the challenge. Professional members prepared packages for children up to 2 years old. The guys from ITLT organized a kickboxing show and taught children the basics of this sport. A colleague from LeasingTeam baked a whole box of delicious and fragrant gingerbread, which the children ate. Mikołaj’s representative was our irreplaceable colleague Filip. Not to mention, of course, the great help of representatives of almost each of our companies when packing packages, decorating the hall or getting sponsors – we read on the company’s official LinkedIn profile.

Other companies also involve their employees in a similar way, e.g. by introducing programs under which employees can submit projects to support the local community. The best of them receive funding and are carried out by the reporting employees.

Challenge – to engage the local community

Good CSR means profit for the entrepreneur – long-term charitable activities of enterprises are remembered by people much better and for longer, giving companies positive publicity, trust in the brand and good reputation, which of course translates into their results and the involvement of employees inside. However, the CSR campaign is of the greatest value when the local community joins it, because they are the most credible and faithful ambassadors of the entire initiative. A handful of people can then very quickly turn into a large group.

– Joyful Christmas Eve is already a tradition in the Piaseczno community, which every year mobilizes an increasing number of companies and state institutions, but also private individuals – residents of the Piaseczno commune. All of them Selflessly They join the action to bring joy to those who need it most – the youngest. This year, during the 11th edition of the event, we gave gifts to over 200 children – said Weronika Jarosz, Vice-President of the Children’s Joy Foundation.

Strategy, not individual actions

CSR brings results when it is not a one-time action, but a long-term strategy of the company, in line with its mission and vision.

– In accordance with the slogan “People make a difference”, our CSR activities focus on people, local communities in which we operate on a daily basis. Our main social action is the annual Joyful Christmas Eve organized in municipalities Piaseczno, where LeasingTeam originates. Engages We are primarily committed to helping children, wanting to give them a better start in life, because they are the future of the labour market ,” said Agnieszka Haponik, Marketing Director at LeasingTeam Group.

1 CSR Managers survey, Responsible Business Forum 2015

Millennials – they are to blame for everything, have high expectations, are disloyal, often change jobs and do not identify with the company. Sounds familiar? Certainly yes. Although millennials are the first generation to boldly and loudly express their needs and expectations towards employers, they are not alone in them – all generations are demanding changes in their approach to employees, from the youngest people just entering the labor market to mature 50+ employees. The fact remains, however, that young people starting their professional path very often do not have specific plans and like to experiment, test both their predispositions and those of their employers. According to Katarzyna Bryła, Regional Manager of the Centre at LeasingTeam, young people are eager to take advantage of employment based on temporary work, as it allows them to gain experience in various industries, test themselves in several positions in a short time, get to know themselves and their expectations.

– For young people, temporary work is a kind of bridge between the labour market and the employer. This way of “testing” novice employees is beneficial not only for them, but also for companies, which can observe and evaluate the performance of a given person and offer them full-time employment within the organization at any time. On the other hand, the resignation of a young employee does not have financial consequences for the company in the form of new recruitment and on-boarding, as the employment agency is responsible for these activities.

“Occupational Barometer” – an annual survey conducted by labour offices in Poland clearly indicates that the shortage of workers in the manufacturing industry affects our entire country and there are no signs that this will change in the near future. As Katarzyna Leśniewska, Team Leader from Professional, points out, the results of the study prove one thing – the difficulty in recruiting an employee will only increase, so even more attention needs to be paid to recruitment processes.

– Specialists in the technical industry are even in demand. The sluggishness of the recruiter or the company often ends up with the loss of a candidate who has accepted another job offer in the meantime. Knowing this, r We always carefully plan the recruitment for a technical position – we clarify all the details regarding the client’s expectations towards the candidate, their experience, knowledge, education, knowledge of programs, technologies and soft skills. As a result, we provide clients with the right candidates, and we can complete the recruitment process efficiently and effectively. The second principle that we follow on a daily basis is to regularly maintain contact and keep informed about the stages of recruitment, thanks to which we are able to respond to competitive job offers and effectively convince the candidate to choose ours. The third rule, equally important as the first two, is to be active in searching for potential employees. Currently, typical job advertisements are extremely rare. It is essential to effectively reach out to passive candidates.

The current market situation shows that companies should also open up to young talents. After graduation, students of technical faculties will quickly become sought-after specialists. It is worth reaching them at the stage of studies, so that as a graduate, a young person thinks about our company in the first place.