Background information

Monitored dismissals: The main objective of this instrument is to provide job placement and improve the employability of the redundant employee through training and other services.

Legal reference: Act of 20 April 2004 on employment promotion and labour market institutions.

Solidarity allowance: The goal of the measure was to ensure financial security for workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic-induced recession. It was also introduced to induce people to focus on improving skills useful on the labour market during the time they spent outside of it. This measure is no longer active.

Legal references: Act of 19 June 2020 on Act on solidarity allowance granted to counteract the negative effects of COVID-19.

Content of measure

Monitored dismissals: the programme applies to redundant workers in firms where the employer aims to dismiss at least 50 workers within a three month period. The programme can be financed by the employer, or co-financed by employer and public authorities, or other organisations, based on an agreement with the employer.

Training can be provided to the laid-off employee that lasts up to 6 months after the dismissal date and the costs of which should be equivalent to the employee's monthly remuneration when on holiday leave, but should not exceed 200% of the national monthly minimum wage: PLN 3,010 in 2022 (EUR 638). The help consists of job outplacement service, vocational counselling, training and assistance in active job search.

Solidarity allowance was a temporary solution introduced in June 2020. The instrument covered all redundant workers who were employed on the basis of contract of employment for at least 90 days in 2020. The amount of the allowance was PLN 1,400 (€318) and for anyone who meets the eligibility criteria. After 3 months receiving the solidarity allowance, the employee was entitled to regular unemployment benefit (provided that they met the criteria).

The Act of 9 March 2023 amending the Act - Labour Code and certain other acts extended the protection of the provisions contained in the Act on collective redundancies. The group of persons covered by special protection against termination or termination of employment included employees during care leave. This amendment was aimed at implementing Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU. This Directive introduced the principle of the so-called reversed burden of proof into national legislation with regard to the dismissal of employees with special protection.

Use of measure

As of 13 August 2020, 185 000 of solidarity allowance benefits were paid in the total amount of almost PLN 246, 000 000 (EUR 55,909,000). No effectiveness/uptake data was found on monitored dismissals.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Employers' organisations Local / regional government Public employment service	Employer European Funds National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

Unknown

Views and reactions

Unknown

Sources

• 13 December 2003: Act of 13 March 2003 on special principles of termination of employment relations with employees for reasons not related to employees (isap.sejm.gov.pl)
• 20 April 2004: Act of 20 April 2004 on employment promotion and labour market institutions (isap.sejm.gov.pl)
• 01 April 2009:  Janik, P. (2009), Outplacement as a tool in employment restructuring process, Zeszyty Naukowe Małopolskiej wyższej szkoły Ekonomicznej w Tarnowie Vol. 2, No. 13 (artykuł zawiera opis przypadku zwolnienia monitorowanego w Tkalni Beskidzkiej) (cejsh.icm.edu.pl)
• 01 January 2014: Forum of Responsible Business (2014) Programme „Orange Polska outplacement” (odpowiedzialnybiznes.pl)
• 28 April 2014:  Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, (2015), Monitored dismissals (psz.praca.gov.pl)
• 01 January 2015: Eurofound, EMCC, Regulatory frameworks of restructuring (www.eurofound.europa.eu)
• 30 April 2019: pulsHR (2019), Collective layoffs don't have to be painful. Santander Bank implements outplacement (www.pulshr.pl)
• 19 June 2020: Act of 19 June 2020 on Act on solidarity allowance granted to counteract the negative effects of COVID-19 (orka.sejm.gov.pl)
• 18 June 2021: Eurofound, ERM, Restructuring related legislation database (www.eurofound.europa.eu)
• 07 June 2022: Zielona Linia (2018), Monitored dismissals (zielonalinia.gov.pl)
• 09 March 2023: Act of 9 March 2023 on amending the Act - Labour Code and certain other acts (isap.sejm.gov.pl)