The bill, which aims to establish Christmas Eve (24 December) as a day off from work, is aimed at 12 million working people in Poland, who usually want to spend this day with their loved ones, without having to combine work duties with private life in such a traditional and family time.
The Left MPs sent the draft law to the Sejm at the end of October - it was then sent to the opinion of the Legislative Office of the Chancellery of the Sejm and to the Bureau of Expertise and Assessment of the Effects of Regulation of the Chancellery of the Sejm.
What is included in the project is not only a day off from work on Christmas Eve, but also a restriction in the performance of work in commercial establishments on Sundays and holidays and on the Saturday preceding the first day of Easter. The introduction of these changes will affect Article 151 of the Labor Code, which speaks about the admissibility of overtime work; the annual limit of overtime hours.
The bill also includes a proposal that Holy Saturday be the day on which trade will be restricted from performing work in commercial establishments. This means that the Saturday preceding Easter will be the day on which, in commercial establishments, trade and entrusting an employee or employee to work in commerce after 2pm will be prohibited.
The bill does not specify the exact date of entry into force of the legislation, which means that it is possible that Christmas Eve this year will be a day off, although it all depends on the pace of the legislative process. However, recently Robert Biedroń published an information in the X service, in which he states that the project will be processed during the next session of the Polish parliament on 6-8 November.
Voice of the Ministry Agnieszka Dziemianowicz Bąk
In a video posted on the website of the 10th Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy, Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk confirmed her support for the law of politicians and politicians of the Left parliamentary club:
This is the time we don't want to spend at work. This is the time we want to spend caring for and caring for our loved ones. Poles want time for family, and the Left is there to provide you with that.
Justification of the bill: Distribution of road traffic during the holiday season
Christmas time is the time of the year when many people move to spend time with their loved ones and transport is overloaded with people. This affects the smoothness of traffic and the comfort of travel, but also safety, for example, on the road.
In the justification of the draft law entitled Act on Amendments to the Act on Public Holidays and Certain Other Acts we read:
It should be noted that for this reason, employers often decide to reduce working hours to 12:00 or 13:00, in order to ensure the safe return of employees to their homes to their loved ones.
The argument for establishing Christmas Eve as a day off is also the fact that on Christmas Eve schools do not organize activities, except for some care activities and the parent must organize time for the child in addition. The lack of educational activities is another logistical challenge, which, in combination with work and homework, requires separate preparation. A day off from work could further strengthen the familiarity and tradition of the holiday, but also for people who do not attach importance to it, it can turn out to be an opportunity to meet loved ones.
An important point is also that employees who work on Christmas Eve until 14 will also be dismissed and will receive full pay.
Examination
For the needs of the newspaper „Straight” was conducted a survey conducted by SW Research. When asked whether they support the new project of the Left to make Christmas Eve a day off from work, 74% of respondents answered for the introduction of the law, 11.3% against and 14.7% did not have an opinion on this issue.
Potential impacts of the bill: impact on the economy
Although the Left's solution was to the liking of many, including President Andrzej Duda, who spoke positively about the project, there were also voices pointing to the negative impact on the economy. This page was held, for example, by Ryszard Petru, who drew attention to the cost to the economy resulting from an extra day off from work. During the whole year, there are a total of 13 such days, Petru, saying that one day without work costs the economy PLN 6 billion, argues that establishing Christmas Eve free of work at the expense of another day off (e.g. January 6) would not contribute to the deterioration of the economic situation.
Although an additional day off from work can be considered to have a negative impact on the national economy, since it is associated with less income from taxes on goods and services and CIT, it is worth remembering that the working day on Christmas Eve is a specific day, usually worked under less restrictive conditions. In the justification of the law, the Left writes:
It is possible to assume negative effects on industrial production, which will translate into a reduction in economic growth, but this is difficult to relate to December 24, which is a specific day of the month, considered by some employers as a day off from work. At the same time, it can have an immeasurable impact on the well-being of employees, who will return rested and in better mental condition after their leave.
The last of the aspects raised by the Left is important in the context of care for the condition of workers, their productivity and well-being, which together also add up to the quality of work in the national economy.
Social impact of the solution
In the justification written in the project we can also read about how a day off on such a day as Christmas Eve - a day that we perceive culturally, as warm, family and special, affects the social condition. The Left emphasizes that the establishment of such a day has an impact on the concept of wellbeing, the peace felt and the rest provided (e.g. in the context when a working person does not necessarily celebrate holidays in a traditional way). The argument also addresses the fact that Poles work almost the most in the EU.
According to data from the Polish Economic Institute, Poles are the second busiest nation in the European Union with more than 40 hours of work per week.
The authors of the project also listed the countries in which Christmas Eve is legally a day off from work, and these include: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Latviaand, Slovakjand Hungary. This shows that modern economies are coping with the challenges of the labour market while taking care of social issues.
summary
The bill, which aims to make Christmas Eve a day off from work, has gained wide public support and the support of politicians of the Left. The introduction of this solution can not only increase the comfort of life of Poles, but also positively affect their well-being.
Sources:
- https://orka.sejm.gov.pl/Druki10ka.nsf/Projekty/10-020-252-2024/$file/10-020-252-2024.pdf
- https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/praca/artykuly/9646865,wigilia-dniem-wolnym-od-pracy-ale-nie-tylko-tego-chce-grupa-poslow.html
- https://www.wprost.pl/zycie/11852034/wigilia-wolna-od-pracy-nowe-informacje-robert-biedron-o-dobrej-wiadomosci.html
- https://www.prawo.pl/kadry/wigilia-dniem-wolnym-od-pracy-od-kiedy,529838.html
