You must have your employement contract on the first day at work
The contract must include
- Name of the company
- Including the address of the company
- Your name
- Date of start of work
The conditions of the employment:
- Payment
- Working hours
- The condition of remuneration
- The place of work
- If different from the address of the company
- Conditions of termination
Different kinds of contracts
As a farm worker in Poland, you can sign two different types of contract: “the labour code contract” and the “civil worker contract”. The contract influence what wage and other benefits you are entitled to.
The labour code contract
The employment contract based on a Labour Code guarantees:
- Social insurance (free health care, accident Insurance, retirement)
- Right to family benefit
- Holiday
- Free legal cases in the Labour Court
- Discount for the public transport
- Unemployment benefit
The civil contract
Civil employment contract can offer you a bit higher wage but it doesn’t provide you with social security benefits and guarantees only:
- Free health care
- Accident insurance
Seasonal worker
From 2018, farmers can sign special contracts with seasonal employees. A new type of contract provides access to health care and accident insurance for such employees. The basis for the provision of assistance during the collections will be a new type of civil law contract with a "farmer's helper".
A farmer's helper is an adult person, who provides assistance for a fee to a farmer for the collection of hops, fruit, vegetables, tobacco, herbs and herbal plants.
Collection assistance includes the following:
1. collecting hops, fruits, vegetables, tobacco, herbs or herbal plants,
2. removal of unnecessary parts of plants,
3. classifying or sorting harvested hops, fruits, vegetables, tobacco, herbs or herbal plants, or performing other activities aimed at preparing these harvests for transport, storage or sale or related to nurturing and improving the quality of crops.
The harvest assistance agreement must be concluded in writing prior to the start of the assistance.
The total time of assistance by the helper on the basis of the agreements about the help with the harvest (one or more, with one or several farmers)cannot exceed 180 days in a given calendar year.
The farmer declares an insurance aider at KRUS within 7 days from the date of concluding the contract about the help with harvest, but no later than before the expiry of the period for which the contract was concluded. The remuneration is set in the contract with the farmer. The minimum wage is not applicable here.
Demand the contract
Demand the written contract from your employer! In case of irregularities, you can rely on your contract.
If you don’t have a written contract, it may mean you work illegally. This means lack of social security benefits and uncertainty of being paid for your work.
Document your work
It is also important to document your work. Write down the hours of work. Take the addresses of your colleagues and ask them to sign your calendar or working record. If you can, take the photos. This all will help you if you need prove your working activity in Court.
Remember for your own safety DO NOT sign anything that you do not understand or in blanco. Ask your colleagues to explain if you are in doubts. Your union is also able to help you.
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