Flexible working hours passed

Overtime is a thing of the past. Instead, flexible working hours and flexible working hours were introduced. These changes are the result of the amendment to the Labor Code, aimed at discouraging employers from firing employees during periods of company downtime.

What do the changes mean in practice? First of all, the working time settlement period was set at 12 months. Throughout the year, the employer may require the employee to perform work tasks longer than the traditional 8 hours without paying any additional remuneration. This time should be “given back” to the subordinate on other working days. This method is to solve the problems of companies that operate irregularly - i.e. in certain periods they receive a large number of orders, while in others this number drops significantly. If the employee is not working for the entire month, he or she retains the right to receive the minimum wage. At the same time, it was assumed that such flexible working hours could not violate the right to daily and weekly rest.

In turn, flexible working hours give the employee the opportunity to determine an individual working day. After prior agreement with the employer, the subordinate may start work at different times on individual days of the week. Thanks to this, according to the originator, it will be easier to reconcile work and private life.

The introduced changes are to have a positive impact on the labor market, due to the fact that thanks to them, employers will incur lower costs during company downtime, which will minimize the need to lay off employees. However, the trade unions, which have already announced a general strike, have a different opinion on this subject. In their opinion, such an extension of working time will have a negative impact on the health and productivity of employees. Another argument is the financial issue - not paying overtime with a low minimum wage in months when they will not be working will certainly reduce income. Trade unions also refer to the recommendations of the European Parliament. According to the Community opinion, the reference period of working time should not exceed 4 months.

To sum up, the changes introduced to the Labor Code have both advantages and disadvantages. It is clear that it is impossible to please everyone. On the other hand, the question of which side is right and how the solution will work in practice - it will be possible to answer only in the future.