Hays Poland: Time is money, so offer your talent time

This year's Hays Poland survey shows that 90% of employees receive additional benefits at their current workplace. Standard non-financial benefits include a medical care package, a sports card, and integration events. In benefits packages, there is also a growing concern for the well-being of employees. Additional free and holiday days are gaining in popularity. All because the opportunity to spend time on non-business activities is of great importance to employees and is assessed as more important than a series of expensive services.

The trend of increasing the pool of available holiday days in Poland is still not very visible. However, in many countries in Europe and worldwide, employers have been allowing employers to take advantage of the increased holiday leave for years. The number of vacation days is also an element of negotiating the conditions of cooperation between a potential employee and the company. In Poland, the most important and most often negotiated record of a contract of employment remains the level of remuneration, while other conditions and aspects of cooperation are sometimes subject to discussion.

VACATIONS SHOULD HAPPEN

The Labor Code assumes that every employee with less than 10 years' seniority is entitled to 20 days of paid annual leave in a year. Longer work experience entitles you to 26 days off. The basis for calculating the internship are labor certificates and other documents that confirm periods of employment and study - including basic, secondary, post-secondary and higher. It is worth remembering, however, that the regulations in force determine the minimum dimension, while the upper limit of public holidays available during the year has not been determined.

"The amount of leave specified in the Labor Code in force in Poland means more attractive conditions for employees compared to to those employed in the USA, where the law does not guarantee them free days for which the employer would pay," emphasizes Agnieszka Czarnecka, an expert at Hays Poland. "In turn, the French get a 2.5 day off for each worked month, which means as many as 30 days a year. The world record holder is Kuwait with a total of 43 holiday days," Czarnecka adds.

TIME IS MONEY

For employees - especially those representing the youngest generation on the labor market - the value of free time is very high. This can be seen, among others in benefits defined by employees as the most important and strong position of remote and flexible work in this statement. In the Hays Poland study, every third employee indicated additional days as a benefit of the highest importance.

However, additional vacation days are not only important for the youngest employees who want to pursue their passions outside of work. Working parents, signaling in Hays Poland's research difficulties in reconciling professional and personal life, especially appreciate the opportunity to take advantage of additional vacation days, which they can devote to participation in important moments in the child's life. More free time is also important for people who care about their professional development and who are lacking in the standard work mode for training and other development activities.

Taking into account the needs of the employed and the growing challenges in acquiring candidates, more and more employers are adjusting their offer to them. Over 40% of companies offer flexible work solutions, including the possibility of taking advantage of a break during the working day to settle private obligations, remote work or a flexible start and finish time of professional tasks. One in ten employers also declares that the pool of holiday days for employees is greater than the one provided for in the Labor Code. Often, the opportunity to use the increased pool of additional paid vacation days is offered to strategic employees who in the organization are struggling with the greatest pressure and work dynamics.

Novelty among the benefits that companies tempt employees is unlimited holidays. There are already organizations on the Polish market that, in addition to the holidays guaranteed in the Labor Code, offer their employees additional paid holidays without any restrictions. The most common condition is the consent of the entire team, satisfying work efficiency and effective implementation of tasks.

"Unlimited holidays can be an increasingly common phenomenon in the labor market," emphasizes Paulina Łukaszuk, Communication Manager at Hays Poland. "The use of such a solution, however, requires a proper organizational culture and structures that make employees really responsible for the results, and those working in smaller teams treat them as their companies. Although the idea of ​​unlimited free days seems to be innovative, information from its use by the best employers is coming in from across the ocean," adds Paulina Łukaszuk.

BENEFICIAL HOLY EXEMPTIONS

Also in this year's Hays Poland survey, 10% of employers declare offering all employees additional days off, not holidays. Usually these are the days preceding holidays, anniversaries associated with the activities of companies, but also the personal life of employees, e.g. birthdays. Increasingly, we also encounter shortened working time on Fridays - in some companies this becomes practice throughout the year, while in others it is possible to use, for example, on Good Friday.

Regardless of the nature of additional free time offered to employees, communication and setting conditions remain key. Additional leave guaranteed in the work regulations may be a bargaining card and distinguish the company on the labor market, which is worth remembering in the era of growing recruitment challenges. Additional days have a similar value, especially for all employees. Appropriate underlining of this element of the offer may be an aspect deciding on the selection of a given employer.

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