In the interest of transparency, mutual respect and commitment, LeasingTeam Group will regularly conduct satisfaction surveys among its temporary workers. After the first month of the survey, the results are optimistic. As many as 91.5% of temporary employees delegated by LeasingTeam to work for clients expressed their satisfaction with the coordinator’s service. This is a confirmation of effective building lasting relationships with employees.
“For our company, transparency is not just a slogan – it is a philosophy that we put into practice every day. Our research is proof of our commitment to temporary workers – says Dominika Zaczek-Chrzanowska, HR Director at LeasingTeam Group.
The opinion surveys of temporary workers, which began in September 2023, are conducted using telephone surveys. What is more, they are carried out by people with disabilities, which is another step towards active support for groups at risk of social exclusion. LeasingTeam Group not only cares about the satisfaction of its employees, but is also committed to creating professional opportunities for those who need it.
“We are satisfied that 100 out of 106 respondents believe that the working conditions will be in line with the offer we have presented. It is not only a success for us, but also an inspiration for further work on the quality of the services offered – adds Dominika Zaczek-Chrzanowska.
The results of the surveys are an expression of employee satisfaction, but also a confirmation that the mission of LeasingTeam Group in terms of building trust and positive relations with employees is successful. The company plans to continue its research, with the hope of further developing itself as a responsible employer.
The high turnover of temporary workers, from the very definition of this form of employment, should not surprise anyone. However, a noticeable decrease in motivation may be worrying, and thus – the quality of the work performed. According to LeasingTeam Group experts, the problem would be smaller if employees were always reliably informed about the conditions of employment and were provided with appropriate care of a coordinator.
More and more industries are struggling to recruit employees, mainly low-level ones. The high staff turnover is also strongly felt. Labour market experts believe that this phenomenon will intensify even more strongly in 2024, due to further increases in the minimum wage that await us. Cooperation with a temporary employment agency is often seen as a recipe for staff shortages. However, in order for it to be effective, the company should clearly define the profile of the personnel sought and the budget it can allocate to hiring them.
“There are no recipes for everything, but a personalised and well-selected offer of an employment agency can be an effective method of filling staff shortages in the client’s company ,” says Kamila Olszak, Director of Development for the North Region at LeasingTeam Group. “The biggest benefit, both for the company and the employee, of working with a temporary employment agency is flexibility both in terms of the personnel structure and the period of employment. In addition, there is time saving and optimizing the costs of the recruitment process. When working with a temporary employment agency, we also use the knowledge and experience of labor market experts, which translates into increased effectiveness of the actions taken – lists Kamila Olszak.
A temporary employment agency supports the achievement of business goals through the ability to react quickly and fill staff shortages. During the recruitment process, but also during employment and service, the agency collects information from the market that can support the company’s HR strategy. “Sometimes, as an external company, we simply see more. Cooperation with a temporary employment agency and a dedicated coordinator allows for better supervision of HR indicators, such as: time from the start of the project to the moment of employment, reasons for rejecting the offer, level of absenteeism, level and reasons for turnover – explains Justyna Gosk, Operational Director of LeasingTeam Group.
Why is the work of a coordinator so important?
The coordinators’ tasks include not only supporting the recruitment department in recruiting employees. They must also provide them with the necessary information about the type of work performed, complete all formalities related to employment, be a mediator with the employer in case of any misunderstandings or provide transport and accommodation. Above all, however, coordinators should remain in constant contact with employees from the first to the last day of work.
“The role of a coordinator in an employment agency is invaluable. It supports the employee at every stage, from helping them move around the plant, to supporting them with documentation and issuing certificates. He is often a translator and negotiator at the same time – sums up Justyna Gosk, Chief Operating Officer of LeasingTeam Group.
“From the very beginning of our activity, we have focused on transparency and building lasting relationships based on mutual respect and commitment, which is why we have decided to conduct regular evaluations of the work of our coordinators. The results of the survey from the first month are optimistic. As many as 91.5 percent of temporary workers delegated by our agency are satisfied with the coordinator’s service. 100 out of 106 respondents believe that the working conditions are in line with the presented offer and would recommend cooperation with LeasingTeam to a family or friend m – sums up Dominika Zaczek-Chrzanowska, HR Director at LeasingTeam Group.
Opinion polls of temporary workers posted by the LeasingTeam Group agency began in September 2023. They are conducted using the method of telephone surveys carried out by people with disabilities. In this way, LeasingTeam Group tries to activate groups at risk of social and professional exclusion.
Despite a significant increase in the minimum wage in almost all of Poland, there is a shortage of people willing to perform basic physical work. The situation is similar also in those provinces where the highest earnings are earned. We are talking about Lower Silesia, among others. How do entrepreneurs react? Not everyone can afford further increases. Therefore, the so-called blue collar employees compete by offering a number of benefits that have so far been reserved only for office employees. Staff gaps are increasingly being filled by foreigners from distant countries of Eastern Europe and Asia.
Lower Silesia is at the forefront of voivodeships where the most money is earned. According to estimates, higher salaries are received only by people employed in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship. The average salary of the inhabitants of Lower Silesia is PLN 7,754.27 gross. Production workers without special qualifications earn PLN 3,600-5,000 gross, forklift operators PLN 4,000-5,200 gross, while warehouse workers, in the case of an hourly rate, earn PLN 23.50-29.00 gross. Despite this, there is a shortage of people willing to carry out basic physical work in the region. Therefore, more and more employers are looking for solutions that will allow them to attract and then retain new staff for longer.
“In Lower Silesia, many of our clients have decided to change their wage conditions above the national minimum wage, effective from July 2023, in order to gain an advantage over the competition in the high season. Many of the companies we work with have decided to go out with a rate 5-6% higher, without delaying and without risking that it will not be possible to recruit enough people to work. Those who can afford it offer higher salaries, while others encourage with a number of non-wage benefits – informs Marta Pilipowicz, Director for Development of the Southern and South-Eastern Region at LeasingTeam Group.
Benefits for blue-collar workers
Non-wage benefits, such as gym memberships, medical care packages, co-financing of commuting or life insurance, are no longer reserved only for specialists and managers. Such solutions are often cheaper for the employer than an increase in the basic salary for work, and they bring the desired effect. Provided, however, that the offer of non-wage benefits is properly profiled.
“Our observations in Lower Silesia show that employees pay special attention to the issues of commuting to the place of employment. The key is whether its organization is on the employer’s side, whether it is free and how much time it takes, and whether it does not require complicated transfers. In production areas, a very appreciated benefit is also co-financing of meals or a free meal – says Marta Pilipowicz, Director of the Southern Region at LeasingTeam Group.
The fact that commuting to the place of employment is important was already shown in the June report of LeasingTeam Group “Poles on commuting to work”. The survey shows that for the vast majority of Poles (81 per cent) it is of key importance, because it influences the decision to accept a job offer.
Who will fill the staff gaps?
There is a shortage of workforce almost everywhere in the country. Staff gaps are recorded in industry, construction, trade and logistics. According to experts, it is currently difficult to recruit an employee, but it is even more difficult to retain them. Currently, the scale of the problem has returned to the pre-pandemic period – there are many physical job offers, and fewer and fewer people willing to do so. For this reason, entrepreneurs are looking for support outside Polish.
“Although there are currently about 1.2 million Ukrainian citizens in our country, this is not enough for the needs of the labor market. Employers, including temporary employment agencies, are looking for employees from distant countries in Eastern Europe and Asia. In the coming years, the employment of people from locations such as Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and the Philippines will grow – says Wojciech Rybicki, Director of Centre Region Development at LeasingTeam Group.
While almost all of Poland entrepreneurs have difficulties in recruiting blue-collar workers, there is no shortage of workers in Warmia and Mazury. However, experts warn that the surge in the minimum wage has contributed to a decrease in efficiency and high staff turnover.
According to the Central Statistical Office, in July the registered unemployment rate in Poland remained at the level of 5 per cent. Theoretically, this means that if someone wants to work, they should have no problem finding employment. Unfortunately, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, the reality on the labor market is not so colorful. According to the estimates of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy, the July unemployment rate in the region was as high as 8.1 per cent. Despite this, labour market experts note that in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship – although not at the same pace as in the rest of the country – there is also a decrease in manual labour.
– In Warmia and Mazury, there is no major problem with recruiting people to work in production and warehouses. However, compared to previous years, there is a visible difference in minus when it comes to the number of candidates – says Katarzyna Dąderewicz, Director of Northern Region Development at LeasingTeam Group.
The gap between regions can also be seen in the level of wages. The average gross salary in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in June 2023 was PLN 5969.17. It is therefore 20 percent lower than in the Pomeranian Voivodeship (PLN 7,512.35) and as much as about 30 percent compared to the Mazowieckie Voivodeship (PLN 8,475.22).
– In the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, employees with specific skills and qualifications, such as forklift operators, are offered a gross rate of PLN 27-28 per hour. On the other hand, in Pomerania, a comparable or slightly lower salary can be received for performing basic activities that require virtually no qualifications. In the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, PLN 25 gross per man-hour for the simplest activities is the absolute minimum – says Katarzyna Dąderewicz, Director of Northern Region Development at LeasingTeam Group.
The differences in rates for basic physical work are related to the geographical location of individual voivodeships. In Mazovia, the average salary is being raised in Warsaw. In the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, the rates are attractive due to the close proximity to the border with Germany. Many people have chosen to pay in euros, so companies have to compete harder for employees in terms of wages. However, not all entrepreneurs are able to do this.
– Rising employment costs are a very heavy burden for employers and not everyone can afford price competition. Smaller entrepreneurs in particular are starting to have problems, for whom running a business may become unprofitable at some point – says Wojciech Rybicki, Director of Centre Region Development at LeasingTeam Group.
High turnover and low quality of work
Since July this year, the minimum wage in Poland has been PLN 3,600 gross, and in the case of an hourly rate – PLN 23.50 gross. According to experts, the second increase in the minimum wage this year
contributes to the flattening of salaries and, consequently, to a drastic decrease in motivation to work and increased employee turnover.
– In a situation where wage conditions are becoming more and more similar, blue-collar workers, especially the least qualified ones, are looking for a lighter and easier job that they can do for similar money. Unfortunately, we are also observing a decrease in commitment to the implementation of the tasks entrusted to us – says Wojciech Rybicki, Director of Centre Region Development at LeasingTeam Group.
The increased turnover of employees in Warmia and Mazury is also related to the holiday season. It turns out that many people from the region, guided by the amount of earnings, are employed in seasonal work in Pomerania.
– Seasonal work is characterized by a short period of employment, so the rates are higher: from PLN 28 to even PLN 35 gross per man-hour. Therefore, during the holiday season, we notice a decrease in interest in permanent work. Many people take up temporary work in the West during the season, but also often in the neighbourhood – in Pomerania. From September, everything returns to normal, i.e. the interest in permanent offers increases – sums up Katarzyna Dąderewicz, Director for Northern Region Development at LeasingTeam Group.
Despite the significant increase in the minimum wage, almost all of Poland is starting to lack people willing to perform basic physical work. In addition, according to experts, the flattening of salaries results in a decrease in efficiency and increased staff turnover. Entrepreneurs who cannot afford another wage increase compete for employees with a number of benefits that have so far been reserved for specialists. Staff gaps can be filled by foreigners from distant countries of Eastern Europe and Asia.
According to the estimates of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy, in July the registered unemployment rate in Poland amounted to 5 per cent. This means that virtually everyone who wants to work is employed somewhere. The insufficient number of employees is directly related to demographic indicators, which clearly show that our society is aging. Although the current minimum wage in Poland is PLN 3,600 gross, and in the case of the hourly rate – PLN 23.50 gross, there is a shortage of basic workers in almost every industry. Companies that cannot automate processes to reduce the human factor or compete for employees with higher salaries introduce a whole range of benefits and bonuses.
– Despite the difficulties in recruiting blue-collar workers, most employers are not able to bear even higher employment costs and try to keep the basic salary at a minimum level. Instead, they try to encourage employees in other ways. They offer them non-wage benefits, which can mitigate the effects of inflation to some extent – says Wojciech Rybicki, Director of Centre Region Development at LeasingTeam Group.
Non-wage benefits for blue-collar workers
Non-wage benefits, such as gym memberships, medical care packages or life insurance, are no longer reserved only for specialists and managers. According to experts, they may soon become the new standard also among less qualified employees. Such solutions are often cheaper for the employer than an increase in the basic salary for work, and they bring the desired effect. Provided, however, that the offer of non-wage benefits is properly profiled.
– In the era of rising costs of living, non-wage benefits that really relieve the household budget are the most desirable. In production positions, meal subsidies or lunches for one zloty in company canteens work very well. Such solutions are also beneficial for the employer, because the subsidy of meals in the amount of up to PLN 300 per month is exempt from social security contributions,” says Marta Pilipowicz, Director of the Southern Region at LeasingTeam Group. – Our observations also show that employees attach great importance to the issue of commuting – whether it is organized by the employer or subsidized and at what distance from the place of residence the workplace is located – adds Marta Pilipowicz.
The fact that commuting to the place of employment is important was already shown in the June report of LeasingTeam Group “Poles on commuting to work”. The survey shows that for the vast majority of
of Poles (81 per cent) is even of key importance, because it influences the decision to accept a job offer.
High turnover and low quality of work
One of the consequences of the rapid increase in the minimum wage is the flattening of wages, and thus a drastic decrease in motivation to work and an unprecedented turnover of staff on such a scale. According to experts, it is currently difficult to recruit an employee, but it is even more difficult to retain them.
“Blue-collar workers are much more aware of the possibility of changing jobs than they were a few years ago and are much more willing to take the associated risks,” says Wojciech Rybicki, Centre Region Development Director at LeasingTeam Group. – Unfortunately, we are also observing a decrease in commitment to the implementation of the tasks entrusted to us. In a situation where wage conditions are becoming more and more similar, blue-collar workers, especially the least qualified ones, are looking for a lighter and easier job that they can do for similar money – notes Wojciech Rybicki.
Workers from Ukraine are not enough
Almost all over the country, there is a shortage of workers for production positions and warehouses, as well as people to perform basic jobs in industry, construction, trade and logistics.
– The situation with shortages in blue collar areas has returned to the pre-pandemic time. There are a lot of job offers and we certainly cannot talk about the end of the employee market – says Marta Pilipowicz, Director of the Southern Region at LeasingTeam Group.
The staff gaps were only partially filled by employees from Ukraine. According to the data of the Office for Foreigners, as many as 77 percent of adults who came to Polish within a year of the outbreak of the war are women. On the other hand, men of working age, able to perform heavier physical work, were very quickly absorbed into the market.
– According to our estimates, there are currently about 1.2-1.7 million Ukrainian citizens in Poland, which turns out to be insufficient for the needs of the labor market. The situation is not improved by the fact that more and more Ukrainian citizens are returning to their country or leaving Poland for the West, where wages are even higher. Employers, including temporary employment agencies, are therefore looking for employees in distant countries of Eastern Europe and Asia. Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and the Philippines – these are the directions from which the acquisition of employees will grow in the coming years – sums up Wojciech Rybicki, Director of Centre Region Development at LeasingTeam Group.
Seasonal work is definitely a trending topic. Such short-term professional activity allows you to earn extra money for your home budget, and also opens the door to new fields and industries, giving you the opportunity to gain valuable skills and broaden your horizons. What forms can temporary work take? Which of them are the most profitable for employees? This is analysed by Oliwia Szopa, lawyer and trainee attorney-at-law at LeasingTeam Group. We invite you to read her article.
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Seasonal work is a type of employment that occurs most often in tourism, agriculture or gastronomy. It is characterized – as the name suggests – by its short duration, it lasts only for a certain season or period, not long in nature.
Seasonal employment can take place both on the basis of an employment contract and a civil law contract (generally a mandate or a specific task). The legal effects of these agreements naturally vary.
An employment contract brings many benefits, such as sick pay, paid annual leave, and a certain level of protection against dismissal. However, these rights are accompanied by obligations, such as inflexibility in the number of working hours and working hours.
A contract for specific work is an agreement in which the person accepting the order undertakes to perform a specific work. An undoubted advantage of this agreement is the lack of social security advances. However, in order to safely use this option, the contract must indeed be the so-called result contract, i.e. lead to the production of a specific work, and one that, according to ZUS, is characterized by a kind of creative, individual character (a bit like a work with artistic features).
A contract of mandate from the insurance side may in principle correspond to an employment contract. However, it does not give the right to leave and is easily dissolvable by nature. However, it is characterized – unlike an employment contract – by greater freedom of the contractor in deciding how and when the mandate should be performed.
A temporary employment contract – as the name suggests – is a contract that is by definition dedicated to seasonal (i.e. temporary) work. This form of employment includes employment under an employment contract as well as under a contract of mandate. A temporary employment contract is a kind of “overlay” on other employment relationships, but it does not significantly change their basic principles and assumptions
In principle, the type of contract cannot be chosen arbitrarily or randomly. First of all, due to the characteristics of the position, it will sometimes be more appropriate to conclude an employment contract characterized by strong subordination of the employee to the employer’s management. Sometimes it will be the other way around – freedom in the manner and organization of the performance of the entrusted work will speak for the admissibility of a civil law contract.
Seasonal workers will therefore face the dilemma of whether it is worth fighting for employment under an employment contract or, on the contrary, aiming for employment under a civil law contract. If greater flexibility (e.g. hourly or impact on the schedule) is what the seasonal worker needs, the commonly accepted absolute advantage of an employment contract over a civil law contract may not be a dream come true at all. Even for those for whom stability is the primary advantage of employment, an employment contract for seasonal activities may not be the best solution. Seasonal work is supposed to last several weeks, maybe months. During this time, it is difficult to acquire any special employee rights, including those affecting the durability of employment (i.e. significantly increase the notice period of the contract, which is 2 weeks for the first 6 months of employment under a regular employment contract). Naturally, the advantage of an employment contract is holiday entitlement. Again, however, the question arises: is the inherently relatively short seasonal employment relationship established in order to go on holiday during the contract, or rather to simply earn money for this holiday (or other future expenses).
When stepping into the proverbial “shoes” of a student looking for a summer job, or a 40-year-old with a mortgage granted for 20 years, the approach to seasonal work itself, as well as the form of employment to perform it, may be different. The fact remains, however, that seasonal work is primarily an opportunity to obtain additional funds in a short period of time, and does not serve to establish permanent employment relationships.
In order to achieve the goal of simply making quick, incidental earnings, one should be guided by the assumption that the lower the taxes and social security advances, the better for the person taking up employment. Therefore, it is also important that only a contractor (and not an employee) who is under 26 years of age and has the status of a student can be registered for health insurance as a family member – so he does not have to pay health insurance contributions or social security contributions on the earnings on the mandate. It is also exempt from income tax. In practice, this means that his net (“clean”) remuneration on the assignment is the same as the gross remuneration.
In conclusion, it is always worth setting our priorities and goals. If our primary goal is to gain experience and develop professional skills, the form of employment matters. On the other hand, in order to earn incidental student income, a contract of mandate will be purely economically beneficial.
Oliwia Szopa, lawyer and trainee attorney-at-law at LeasingTeam Group
The second increase in the minimum wage this year is being felt by the owners of seasonal catering, service and entertainment outlets. Especially since it was introduced just before the peak of the holiday season. On the one hand, entrepreneurs have to deal with a shortage of employees, and on the other hand, with rising labour costs and wage pressure.
The July indexation of salaries is not large. However, compared to last year, the minimum wage increased from PLN 3,010 to PLN 3,600 gross, and the hourly rate was raised from PLN 19.70 to PLN 23.50 gross. In addition, the high dynamics of the minimum wage growth drives wage pressure from other employees. This is taking its toll mainly on small entrepreneurs, for whom employment costs were already a considerable burden. Financial plans are also modified by companies that need a relatively large number of less qualified employees.
“The costs of hiring an employee have been increasing exceptionally often in recent years. In the past, the rate was changed once every few years, this year we have already had two indexations, and more are planned for 2024. This may result in the need to cut costs, reduce employment or even restructure workplaces. In addition, when employees in the lowest positions receive a salary increase, other employees also expect it. This is how the wage-price spiral is driven – says Sylwia Kutermankiewicz, Director of the HR and Payroll Department at LeasingTeam Group.
Holiday appetite for pay rises
The holiday period is a rash of offers related to tourist service, mainly in seasonal gastronomy, hospitality, trade and services. The influx of refugees from Ukraine, mostly women, who quickly found their way in these industries, turned out to be a significant support for tourism-related businesses. However, there is still a shortage of workforce in this sector. According to current data from the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, unemployment in June 2023 was 5%, maintaining an uninterrupted downward trend. This means that virtually everyone who wants to work is employed somewhere. In addition, employees who have a slightly higher salary than the minimum wage more and more often decide to change their employer or position.
“The average salary in the catering industry oscillates around PLN 4,200 gross. Therefore, it is beginning to be perceived as not much higher than the minimum wage, which fuels employees’ appetite for pay rises. Entrepreneurs running restaurants, bars, but also guesthouses or even hotels have to face a kind of price battle. Owners compete with each other, often offering slightly higher wages. This, in turn, generates high turnover, and the need to onboard employees and train them again and again is a considerable burden for employers – says Michał Czernek, Senior Business Development Manager at LeasingTeam Group.
Entrepreneurs are trying to fill staff gaps by employing pupils or students up to 26 years of age, who are exempt from income tax, and under a contract of mandate also from the obligation to pay social security contributions. Employment on the basis of a temporary employment contract is also becoming an increasingly popular solution.
– As the name suggests – this is a contract that is by definition dedicated to seasonal, i.e. temporary, work. This form of employment includes employment under an employment contract as well as under a contract of mandate. A temporary employment contract is a kind of “overlay” on other employment relationships – explains Oliwia Szopa, lawyer, trainee attorney-at-law at LeasingTeam Group.
Employment contract or mandate?
Seasonal workers therefore face the dilemma of whether it is worth applying for employment under an employment contract or, on the contrary, aiming for employment under a civil law contract. As experts argue, in order to earn incidental student earnings, a contract of mandate will be purely economically beneficial, where the net amount is the same as the gross salary.
“The commonly accepted absolute advantage of an employment contract over a civil law contract in the case of seasonal work is clearly decreasing. Holiday work is supposed to last a few weeks, maybe months. In such a short period of time, it is difficult to acquire any special employee rights, including those affecting the durability of employment. Naturally, the advantage of an employment contract is holiday entitlement. Again, however, the question arises – do we establish a short seasonal employment relationship in order to go on vacation during its performance, or rather to simply earn money for this vacation or other future expenses? – asks rhetorically Oliwia Szopa, lawyer, trainee attorney-at-law. “In order to achieve the goal of simply making quick, incidental earnings, we should be guided by the assumption that the lower the taxes and social security advances, the better for the person taking up employment ,” he concludes.
Pensioners and minors as an opportunity
There are many reasons for the insufficient number of seasonal workers. Currently, we are dealing with a large mismatch in relation to vacancies. Changes in the structure of professions were caused primarily by technological development. The demographic winter that has been persisting for many years only intensifies this phenomenon. According to experts’ forecasts, the staff gaps may be partially filled by pensioners who, due to high inflation, are increasingly looking for an additional source of income. The indexation of the minimum wage may be an additional incentive for them to return to work, even part-time. Entrepreneurs are also increasingly employing minors for holidays.
“Employee turnover during the holiday season, for example, is beginning to be dealt with in an interesting way, for example, by amusement parks. Programs for employing students over 16 are becoming popular. Thanks to the lack of contribution burdens and often the cost of living, high school students are willing to accept summer jobs for the minimum wage. Of course, they cannot perform a number of jobs, focusing on cleaning or catering roles. However, the savings generated in these positions allow employers to retain other employees, responding to their expectations regarding pay rises – sums up Michał Czernek, Senior Business Development Manager at LeasingTeam Group.
The report “Poles on commuting to work” prepared by LeasingTeam Group shows that for the vast majority of Poles (81%) commuting to the place of employment is of key importance and influences the decision to accept a job offer. The research also shows that more than half of us (51.8 per cent) would start looking for a new employer in the event of a sudden change in commuting conditions, caused by, for example, the relocation of the company’s headquarters, a long-term renovation of a thoroughfare or a change in the frequency of public transport. What’s more, every fifth declared person would do it without hesitation. In addition, research clearly shows that we are very strongly attached to our place of residence. If we wanted to shorten the time spent on commuting, we would not decide to move, but would change our employer (77 per cent).
– Access to the workplace and the time spent “on the road” have a direct impact on the mood of employees and the quality of their work. Poles value work-life balance, manage their time effectively and do not want to waste it on long commutes – convinces Andżelika Majewska, Vice President of the Management Board of LeasingTeam Group. “Employers should understand and be able to accurately define the needs of employees in order to be able to implement flexible solutions that will be a bargaining chip in the recruitment process ,” adds Majewska.
We have known for a long time that a long time spent on the way to work reduces productivity and the quality of professional and private life. Almost a decade ago, research by the British Office of National Statistics showed that commuting longer than half an hour to work significantly increases anxiety levels and lowers the level of satisfaction with life.
However, not everyone considers the time spent on commuting to be wasted. 43% of respondents believe that it can be used effectively and see in it the potential for various activities. Labour market experts asked how they proposed to use it. Several answers could have been given, and the survey shows that 3/4 of us listen to music, audiobooks or podcasts on the way to work. Browsing the Internet (31.1 per cent) and talking on the phone (25.4 per cent) were also frequently indicated answers.
How do we commute to work and how much time do we spend on the road?
According to the report “Poles on commuting”, almost half of us still drive a car (46.6 per cent), although this is often associated with standing in traffic jams and parking problems. 30.1% of respondents decide to use public transport. 9.6 per cent of respondents get to work on foot or by bike. The rest combine various means of transport (6.8 per cent) or commute by employee buses (1.6 per cent).
39.1% of respondents need from 20 to 40 minutes to commute, so they spend an average of one hour on the way to and from work every day. On the other hand, one in ten of us does not take more than 10 minutes to get to work. This means that these people live close to the office or its location is very well connected with the rest of the city. Indeed, research by LeasingTeam Group shows that 13.6 per cent of people live within 1 to 5 km of work, and 6.4 per cent have less than a kilometre to work. However, most employees have more kilometers to travel – 27.2 percent from 5 to 10 km, and 25.6 percent from 10 to 20 km. The longer the route and the less efficient the means of transport, the higher the monthly expenses of employees.
“Although half of Poles do not spend more than PLN 200 per month on commuting to work, every fifth person engages financial resources exceeding PLN 400 for this purpose. This is already quite a considerable expense that can affect the employee’s budget and be an important factor when making decisions about employment or changing the workplace. It is therefore important for employers to take these costs into account and strive to offer solutions that will help reduce them – says Anna Kurczewska-Formela, Director of the Recruitment Department at LeasingTeam Professional.
How to encourage employees to commute more sustainably?
The study “Poles on commuting” showed that as many as half of commuters using their own means of transport would be willing to switch to public transport if they had a convenient connection from home to work. This shows how important the location of the workplace and the infrastructure conducive to alternative means of transport are. Another reason for not using public transport is too high ticket prices (16.2 per cent). Interestingly, as many as 70 percent of respondents could change the form of commuting if they received a subsidy from the employer.
“Companies should consider introducing financial support programs for employees using public transport. Offering additional funds to cover the costs of tickets or subscriptions motivates to choose more environmentally friendly solutions. Such initiatives contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the environment – says Anna Kurczewska-Formela, Director of the Recruitment Department at LeasingTeam Professional.
A fairly high percentage of people using public transport and commuting to work by bike or on foot indicates a growing demand for alternative means of transport. The Leasing Team Group research also shows that Poles are increasingly aware of ecology and the sharing economy. 12.8 percent of people who commute to work by car take friends working in the same area or travel as a passenger. The idea of carpooling is gaining popularity around the world. It is driven by both ideological and economic considerations, such as rising fuel prices. More and more companies are also introducing their own incentive programs and applications promoting low-emission commuting.
Returning to the “old” reality is not easy. The pandemic has accustomed us to the home office mode and taught us to manage our time more effectively. Today, as confirmed by the LeasingTeam Group research, employees can appreciate flexible solutions.
“One of the key and highly desirable aspects is the ability to adjust working hours, giving you more freedom in planning your commute. For example, employees can avoid traffic peaks by choosing different than “traditional” start and end times. This reduces travel time, reduces the stress of traffic jams and improves overall job satisfaction – suggests Anna Kurczewska-Formela, Director of the Recruitment Department at LeasingTeam Professional.
A schedule tailored to the needs, remote work, financial allowances for those using public transport or promoting carpooling or cycling are solutions that allow companies to meet the needs of employees and create a competitive advantage in the labor market. We will all benefit from this, both entrepreneurs, employees and the environment.
Region Centrum is one of the six branches of the LeasingTeam employment agency, which delegates about a thousand foreign employees per month to clients. The branch covers, among others, the Mazovian labor market, acquiring both Polish and foreign staff for enterprises. Together with the employees of the Centre Region, we visit four production plants in Mazovia that employ foreigners.
“These plants are our long-term customers, to whom we direct employees from Polish and Eastern European countries, and even from Asia,” says Wojciech Rybicki, Director of Centre Region Development at LeasingTeam. “When employing foreigners, it should be remembered that they have the same rights and obligations as Polish employees. The Act on the Employment of Temporary Workers of 9 July 2003 is the basic legal act regulating temporary work in Poland – also for foreigners regardless of their country of origin. As an employment agency, we are obliged to provide a temporary employment contract or a contract of mandate in a language understandable to a foreigner, remuneration at a level not lower than the national minimum, as well as the legality of stay and work.”
Wojciech Rybicki emphasizes that the high dynamics of changes in labour law, tax regulations and regulations in the area of legalisation of stay and employment of foreigners mobilises LeasingTeam to work hard, as all participants of the process should be sure that the persons performing temporary work are employed in accordance with the applicable law.
The temporary work model basically consists in the fact that the Employer-User (the term used to describe the Employment Agency’s Client in the Act on the Employment of Temporary Workers) determines the number of people necessary to perform work in a specific period of time and decides to increase or decrease their number in individual periods.
Cooperation with a temporary employment agency based on this model allows the client to flexibly manage employment volumes, and thus costs, depending on the actual needs.
However, it should be remembered that a temporary worker may generally work for one Employer-User for no longer than 18 months, within a period of 36 consecutive months.
“Before the pandemic, most foreign workers, mainly from Ukraine, were sent to work in the production and warehouse industries, which did not require specialist skills and professional qualifications,” says Katarzyna Bryła, Regional Manager of the Centre at LeasingTeam. “At that time, citizens of Ukraine, as well as Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Armenia benefited from a simplified employment procedure, thanks to which they could legally work in Poland for a period of 180 days over the next 12 months. It was the so-called shuttle period, when employees went to their home countries to wait out the break and returned to Polish to be employed on the basis of another declaration of entrusting work.”
When the coronavirus pandemic broke out, all industries saw significant declines in sales. In the pandemic year 2022, many companies limited their operations to the bare minimum, and some companies completely stopped their activities, which they did not resume after the pandemic.
It is estimated that about 350 thousand people could have lost their jobs during the pandemic, almost 1/3 of whom were foreigners who returned to their countries. At the same time, many people took advantage of the solutions of the anti-crisis shield, which extended the validity period of documents entitling them to work and stay in Poland.
Contrary to expectations, the pandemic has not affected the trend of increasing applications for residence in Poland submitted by foreigners (mainly Ukrainians) since 2014. What’s more: in the pandemic year 2020, the number of applications increased by 19% compared to the previous year.
This fact, as well as the suspension of direct customer service as a result of the lockdown and the protracted and continuous prolongation of administrative proceedings long before the pandemic, contributed to a real collapse of the work of offices dealing with foreigners’ affairs. Nevertheless, in 2021, the number of Ukrainian citizens in Poland returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Although the pandemic crisis did not cause drastic and irreversible changes in the Polish economy, the achievement of economic stabilization was thwarted by the war in Ukraine.
It is worth noting that refugees did not come to Polish for work, just like their compatriots, economic migrants from before the war. Over 70% of today’s refugees from Ukraine are women, children and the elderly. Most of them have higher education and want to return home after the war is over. Hence, their appearance in Poland did not lead to overcoming the challenges related to the staff shortage in many sectors of the national economy.
“Refugee women are looking for work primarily in the areas of infrastructures that will provide their children with satisfactory housing, educational and health-promoting conditions” – points out Anastasiia Naburanna, recruiter at the LeasingTeam Centre Region. “In Mazovia, it is a metropolitan area of Warsaw. Although the procedure for employing Ukrainian citizens who came to Polish after the start of the war has been simplified, insufficient knowledge of the Polish language does not allow refugees to work in accordance with their education. They mainly take up physical work in various industries, including the production and storage of goods. Here, knowledge of the Polish language is required at a communicative level, and companies are increasingly introducing flexible conditions for employed foreigners.”
“One of our clients found a solution for employees from the East in a project where knowledge of the Polish language is not a requirement even before the influx of refugees,” says Wiktoria Rojik, project coordinator at the LeasingTeam Centre Region. “Since the work takes place in one production hall, an employee has been assigned for each shift, who acts as an interpreter for additional remuneration. In the current situation related to the employment of refugees, this solution has become more important. In many of our projects, it is possible to stay close to the workplace. For a small surcharge, employees can live in a hostel, as well as in a multi-room apartment or a two-storey building. Although the conditions are good, they are not optimal housing options for women with children, which refugee women often want.”
“Commuting to work is also important for employees – when the employer provides it in an organized way, it becomes an additional value” – adds Aneta Stasiak, project leader in the LeasingTeam Center Region. “For example, our customer in the food industry provides employee transport to the workplace. There are about 20 larger locations from which buses run, the driver also picks up people from smaller towns on the route to the plant. The farthest range of the transport location at the moment is about 82 km. I think this is an additional benefit for most employees due to the fact that not all employees have their own means of transport.”
Zinaida Czupylka, 57, an engineer by profession, has been working at the LeasingTeam project since 2017. He lives in an employee hostel. She came from Ukraine for the first time to work in a factory in Katowice. “I quit because it was too hard physical work for my age,” Ms. Zinaida reveals. “I went to Mazovia, where I found a job in the LeasingTeam project as an assistant production operator. I was doing well, so I stayed for the second season, then for the next one, and so six years passed. I didn’t worry about the apartment – I had a hostel provided by the agency, in the meantime I learned Polish, and a few years ago I brought my son here, with whom we work together.”
What are the chances for foreigners in the current labour market, which is strongly correlated with persistent inflation and economic uncertainty?
According to Wojciech Rybicki, despite high inflation and the uncertain economic situation, foreigners looking for work in basic positions, primarily as manual workers, can be confident about the possibility of finding a job in Poland. Foreigners are still attractive employees for Polish employers, mainly because of greater openness to employment on the basis of civil law contracts and acceptance of remuneration lower than that agreed to by Polish employees.
Wojciech Rybicki also points out that the rising costs of doing business, caused primarily by record-high inflation, an increase in the minimum wage and high energy costs, force entrepreneurs to look for savings, and employee costs usually account for the largest share in the costs of doing business.
Experts still define the labour market in Poland as an employee’s market, forecasting a minimal increase in the unemployment rate this year. Most companies want not only to retain current foreign employees, but also to attract new ones. For example, in the manufacturing industry, there is still a shortage of candidates for positions such as machine operator, production worker, forklift driver, or quality control specialist.
It is worth remembering that the distinguishing feature of individual industries is the so-called seasonality, i.e. periods of increased or limited production. It significantly affects the employment of temporary workers and the conduct of recruitment processes. At the same time, there should be no shortage of work in the manufacturing and warehousing industries. However, there is no nationwide strategy for the professional activation of refugees that would take into account changes in gender proportions and competences.