“I work legally” – who is this nationwide campaign addressed to?

The National Labor Inspectorate is implementing the campaign “I work legally”. It is supposed to be a response to illegal employment on the market.

One of the newest, large-scale, nationwide campaigns concern the employment market. This is the “I work legally” campaign. It is run by the National Labor Inspectorate, and the main partner is the Social Insurance Institution.

Campaign for 3 years

The campaign was launched in September this year and is to last 3 years. It concerns the legality of employment and touches upon the problem of undeclared employment. This problem has been growing for years. There are no official statistics showing how many people work without a signed contract. However, it is estimated that even in every 5th enterprise people work illegally. 17 percent do not have contributions paid by the employer to ZUS and the Labor Fund. However, there are other statistics which say that even every third employee does not have a contract. Still others state that in the workplaces controlled by PIP every 8th person did not have a contract and insurance.

What does it look like: National Labor Inspectorate’s control in the enterprise

Compulsory employment

The aim of the “I work legally” campaign is to fight the shadow economy. It is making employers and employees aware that it is not an option, but an obligation to employ staff in accordance with applicable labor law. The campaign is targeted at employers and employees from Poland, areas of the European Union, but also countries outside the EU – with particular emphasis on employees from Ukraine. This is because the latter are more and more often hired by Polish employers.

Ukrainians as a cheap labor

Ukrainians fill the employment gap left by Poles. This means: they agree to accept a given job offer for a much lower salary. If they lack the appropriate qualifications, they are more willing than Poles to qualify and train. The problem is that although Ukrainians (and foreigners who came to our country mainly from across the eastern border) are in our reality cheap labor, employers are trying to save on them. They have a way of doing this. They offer a job, but not contracts. Theoretically, both parties benefit from it: the employee receives a greater salary, and the employer saves on costs related to employing the employee.

Not only economics

Working illegally means not only lower expenses for the company, and at the same time more money for the man working on the left. The campaign emphasizes that employment in the form of an employment relationship is beneficial for both the employee and the employer. It provides guarantees resulting from accident, disability and retirement insurance. It is a minimum financial security in the event of an accident, serious illness, reaching retirement age, and protection of the family in the event of the death of the next of kin.

The campaign aims to look at employment from a different angle. Legal work is standard in labor relations and in relations on the free market. Employing legally and working legally, the employer appears as a professional, honest person, good citizen with a clear conscience. The employee also has a clear conscience.

We also recommend: When the labor inspector can interview employees

PIP experts advise: – If you do not know how to employ legally, including how to employ foreigners, the National Labor Inspectorate will help you obtain the necessary information. You can take advantage of free information, publications and legal advice.

These tips are intended to make you aware that the lack of an employment contract can sometimes have much more serious consequences. For example: when an undeclared employee has an accident at work, representatives of the labor inspectorate will appear on site. They will begin to explain the circumstances of the event. It will soon become clear that the victim of the accident did not officially work in this place. In such a case, not only the employee but also the employer will be held liable. Moreover, an uninsured worker will not receive sickness or work accident benefits, nor will he receive a retirement pension.

Ask inspector

Employees working without a contract can contact the labor inspectorate for advice at any time. Or they can call and even present their situation anonymously. However, since the inspectors are to consider the case, it will be necessary to provide the identification data of both the employee and the employer. On what issues, within the framework of the campaign “Legally working”, will those interested receive advice? – This is the conclusion of contracts in writing, application for social insurance and the replacement of civil law contracts with employment contracts where there are features of an employment relationship – they list in PIP.