Background information

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemics the government proposed the legislative package of measures intended to counter-act the direct economic effects of the public health crisis. The package, commonly referred to as the Anti-crisis Shield, consist of three legislative acts which all came into force on 1 April.

Of the three acts, the Act amending the Act on Special Measures regrading Prevention, Counteraction and Combating COVID-19 Other Contagious Diseases and Crisis Situations Related and Some Other act of Law is the key piece of legislation regarding the unfolding economic crisis. The Act (abbreviated as the “Special Act”) is a follow-up to the initial ad-hoc regulation introduced in early March.

Content of measure

Clause 17 of the Special Act introduces new amounts of wage subsidies for people with disabilities. New amounts of wage subsidies are higher than those defined in the Act of 27th August 1997 on Vocational and Social Rehabilitation and Employment of Disables Persons, and they are as follow:

• PLN 1,950 (€436) for employees with a severe degree of disability (previously PLN 1,800 - €403);
• PLN 1,200 (€268) for employees with a moderate degree of disability (previously PLN 1,125 - €252);
• PLN 450 (€101) for employees with a slight degree of disability (the amount remains unchanged).

However, the new amounts in relation to people diagnosed with mental illness, mental retardation, pervasive developmental disorders or epilepsy as well as people with blindness are as follows:

• PLN 1,200 (€268) for employees with a severe degree of disability (previously PLN 600 - €134);
• PLN 900 (€201) for employees with a moderate degree of disability (previously PLN 600 - €124);
• PLN 600 (€124) for employees with a slight degree of disability (the amount remains unchanged).

The new amounts of wage subsidies have been available since April 2020. The measure is financed by PFRON (the State Fund for Rehabilitation of Disabled People). For the implementation of this measure, the PFRON budget is to be increased by PLN 141 million (€31.59 million).

Use of measure

No information to date (September 2020).

The number of entities on the open labour market which received wage subsidies in March 2019: 21,861.

The number of workers on the open labour market who received wage subsidies in March 2019: 135,535.

Source: PFRO

Target groups

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

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Public support service providers	National funds

Social partners

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

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

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

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

Social partners not involved.

POPON (Polish Organisation of Employers of Persons with Disabilities) prepared their opinion about a project of the Special Act.

Views and reactions

POPON (Polish Organisation of Employers of Persons with Disabilities) and OBPON (the National Base of Employers of People with Disabilities) assessed it as one of the most important solutions that will support (protect) employment of employees with disabilities, but they also presented some suggestions to change some details in the Special Act.

The national trade unions, NSZZ ‘Solidarność” and OPZZ, also gave a positive opinion about this measure.

Sources

• 22 March 2020: The position of POPON on the changes to the Special Law. (popon.pl)
• 23 March 2020: The opinion of OPZZ on the Anti-Crisis Shiel (www.opzz.org.pl)
• 01 April 2020: The Act of 31 March 2020 amending the Act on Special Measures regarding Prevention, Counteraction and Combating COVID-19 Other Contagious Diseases and Crisis Situations Related (Ustawa z dnia 31 marca 2020 r. o zmianie ustawy o szczególnych rozwiązaniach związanych z zapobieganiem, przeciwdziałaniem i zwalczaniem COVID-19, innych chorób zakaźnych oraz wywołanych nimi sytuacji kryzysowych oraz niektórych innych ustaw (dziennikustaw.gov.pl)
• 07 April 2020: 'Solidarity' to the crisis Part 8: Solutions of the anti-crisis shield for people with disabilitie (www.solidarnosc.org.pl)