FLEXI WORK in POLAND

Alicja Kostecka

Employing staff is always employing the whole man.You can not hire a "hands to work„ man comes along with them as their owner.

Peter F. Drucker

The roots of flexible work in Poland

1. Changes on the job market• new industries, more skilled jobs

2. Demography • age structure of population, more women working

3. Equality trends on the job market• women, young people, older workers, handicapped persons

4. Business competition• globalisation, recrutation and retention of most talented worker• growing pressure on workers education and longer work hours

5. Corporate social responsibility • including work-life balance measures into HR policy

6. Life aspirations of individuals• measured by life satisfaction index, generation Y

Projection of employment in 10 occupational groups in 2013 and 2025

Sym-bol

Name 2000 2013 2025 2013 2000=100

20252013=100

Structure in %

in thous. 2000 2013

x Total 13.926 15.100 16.200 108,9 106,8 100,0 100,0

1 Menagers, parlament members 882 1.050 1.160 119,0 110,5 6,3 6,9

2 Specialists 1.507 2.155 2.880 143,0 129,9 10,8 14,2

3 Technicians and professionals 1.813 2.355 2.800 129,9 118,9 13,0 15,5

4 Office workers 1.098 1.310 1.410 119,3 107,6 7,9 8,6

51 Service workers 538 700 830 130,1 118,6 3,9 4,6

52 Sellers 1.007 1.220 1.350 121,2 110,7 7,2 8,0

6 Farmers 2.395a) 1.620 1.310 67,6 81,5 17,2 10,7

7 Workers of industry and handicraft 2.309 2.355 2.225 102,0 94,5 16,6 15,5

8 Machine operators and assemblers 1.239 1.355 1.360 109,4 100,4 8,9 8,9

9 Unskilled employees 1.067 990 865 92,8 87,4 7,7 6,5

Source: prof. A Karpiński, Rynek pracy, ewolucja popytu na kwalifikacje, Warszawa 2006

Flexible forms of employment in Poland

65,1

32,6

19

8,5 7,7

52,4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

fixed-termemployment

part-time job temporaryemployment

work fromhome

telework civil-legalcontracts

Flexible forms of employment used by Polish companies, 2009

Source: Flexecurity in Poland (ed. E.Krynska), Ministry of Labour, 2009

Fixed-term job contracts in EU

Źródło: European Commission, Employment in Europie 2006

There is an imbalance in use of flexible working forms in Poland

The high ratio of fixed term contracts The high ratio of civil-legal contracts

Small use of part-time employment Limited use of telework and work from home Lack of knowledge of flexible forms among

employers (51%) and employees (54%)

In the result: Resistance to flexible forms of employment from

employees Resistance to flexible time of work from

employers

Why employers like the flexi job contractsThe cost of employee

earning 2500 PLNca 600 euro

contract of employment

contract work

civil-legal contract

self-employment

Why employers do not like flexible forms of working

• limited confidence in the workers performing work outside office;

• more frequent training and deployment of new employees;

• increased turnover of staff;• lack of ties among employees;• difficulties in coordinating the substance

and timing of work.

Why employees prefer permanent work contracts

A worker employed on the civil-legal agreement is seen as an

additional employee. First to layoff in case of restructuring.Key/standard staff have permanent contracts (contracts of

employment)

Do teleworkers and freelancers have the same rights at work as permanent workers?

35%

44%

21%

YES

NO

don't know

Why emploees do not like flexible form of employment

• insecurity of work life, lack of stability of salary;

• lack of legal protection;• a heavy burden for the employee to cover the

costs of training necessary for employment;• not possible, in many cases, the use of the

employee rights;• work interfering with home life.

Employment rate by age group and gender, 2000-2010 series, Poland (%)

M F

Women perceived as a „less the employee” than a men

Women are less active on the job market in every age group

Reasons:2 dimensions of a good employee:

Full involvement in work

Available on request /time demand

Barriers experienced by women on the job market

Economic factorsAttitudes and stereotypesLegislationInsufficient care facilities for dependantsInsufficient use level of flexible working

formsInadequate forms of WLB present in Polish

firms

Economic factors

Employment ratemen – 58,9 women – 43,4

Unemployment ratemen – 8,8 women – 10,9

Part time job men – 12,0 women- 17,0

Men earn about 30 % more than women

Unemployed men easier find the job Source: Statistical Office, QIV2011

Attitudes and stereotypes related to phenomena of women on the job

marketTraditional family model: women responsible for childcare and care for other dependants in the family

Women are responsible for running family household

Women perceived as a „less of a worker” than a men

Women’s own attitude toward working

Women having care responsibilities, 2008

46,4

1 day1 dayGUS GUS

(2005)(2005)

houseworkhousework

GUS (2005)GUS (2005)

childcarechildcareGUS GUS

(1976)(1976)

houseworkhousework

GUS (1976)GUS (1976)

childcarechildcare

WomanWoman 4,38 h4,38 h 2,18 h2,18 h 5,0 h5,0 h 2,05 h2,05 h

MenMen 2,4 h2,4 h 1,29 h1,29 h 2,08 h2,08 h 1,44 h1,44 h

Number of hours spend on housework and childcare, Poland

House- weekly - hours

33,0

18,5

The work absence of women

F M

Day on demandTo care for a

child

48,0% 24,0%

Sick leave to care for a child

44,0% 16,0%

Sick leave 44,0% 38,0%

Source: References, N=932

Women’s own attitude toward working

• 50 % of new mothers stays at home with child up to 4 years*

• Almost half of women-respondends declared resignation from work if the husband would earn sufficient salary (42% in cities, 57% in villages)**

*Source:GUS, 2007, **CBOS Mazovia Job Market 2010

Legislation

18 weeks of matternity leave (obligatory) – mainly for mothers

2 weeks for fathers from January 1, 2012 36 months (optional) of parental leave

(mothers and fathers)

„It is too long” – employers’s opinion

Childcare facilities

Kindergarden • 41% children in the

age 3-5 in facilities• 16% children in

public facilities• 2% firms opened

own kindergardens (2009)

EU goal: 70% of children in kindergarden

Babycare facilities

• from 1412 to 371• between 1990 –

2006 (GUS)

Source: Mały Rocznik Statystyczny za 2006 r.Rocznik Statystyczny Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 2006 r.

Insufficient care facilities

Insufficient childcare facilities (for children under 3 years of age and preschool children)small number of facilities, very expensive private facilities,

unconvinient hours of opening)

The work absence of women (carying for a sick child)

Limited offer of care services for dependants Limited access to child care facilities for

unemployed women

The average number of working hoursyearly per 1 worker

Problems in keeping work – life balancePressure at home ( Q11c) Pressure at work ( Q11a, b) Strong – several times a weekModerate – several times a month

I.E. Kotowska, A.Matysiak, A.Pailhé, A.Solaz, M. Styrc, D.Vignoli, Quality of life of families: selected results from the Second European Quality of Life Survey 2007, European Fundation for the Improvements of Living and Working Conditions, Brussels, June 2009, http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/empl/demographic_change/library?l=/assessing_2009-06-10&vm=detailed&sb=Title

PL: 59% M and 62%F feel pressure at home

PL: 16% M and 22% F feel pressure at work

Results of not having WLB in firmsin opinion of Polish women

Resignation from further education 20,2%

Resignation from development of the interest 13,8%

Shortage of sleep 13,4%

Less time spent with family and friends

Less time spent on rest, sports and recreationSource: research by U.Feliniak and W. Ratajczyk, Łodź University, 2008; 516 respondents, 403 women

WLB beneficiaries in Polish firms in 2006

• Learning employees 82 %

• Key employees 64 %• Employees having small child 50 %• Employees raising children alone 41 %• Older employees 36 %• Both parents 27 %• Employees traveling often

23 %

Employees expectations toward WLB, 2008

Employees expectations (%)

Financing the study 57,6 Vacation schedule 46,7 Free days on demand 43,2 Bonus for vacation 40,9 Medical care 39,7 Free days for study 35,2 Cheap loans 35,0 Flexible work time 32,3

What employers offer (%)

Free day on demand 18,6 Vacation schedule 16,1 Flexible work time 12,2 Bonus for vacation 10,4 Shorter work-day for learning

emloyees 9,9 Cheap loans 9,2

Source: research by U.Feliniak and W. Ratajczyk, Łodź University, 2008; 516 respondents, 403 women

Inadequate forms of WLB present in Polish firms

Lack of understanding for WLB in firmsAddressed mainly to young proffesionalsAddressed mainly to young womenAddressed rather to new employedBased rather on former

experience/tradition than on actual needs of potential beneficiaries of WLB

Attitudes toward flexiwork in Poland• There is no resistance when it comes to flexi

working hours• There is a resistance towards flexible form of

work contracts• Mother's wish to combine work with home

life, or simply do not have children - because they must work

• Fathers do not want to work long hours, want to be with children, want to develop their passions, and find time for self-fulfillment

Thank you for your attention