Young employees may be more exposed to problems with employers. Therefore, before starting their first job, they must learn about the rights and obligations that will apply to them. From September this year will be reduced the age limit and work will be able to take people who are 15 years of age.
A juvenile employee may be employed either as a vocational preparation or for the purpose of performing paid work, but only for light jobs, i.e. those which do not impair the psychophysical development of the adolescent. The list of such works should be accepted by the regional labor inspector and by the occupational medicine doctor.
According to the Labor Code, an employee can be a person who is 18 years old, that is, every adult citizen. However, the regulations also include the second group, ie juvenile employees. They are people in the 16-18 age range. From September 1, 2018, this age limit will be reduced – people aged 15 and over will be allowed to take up employment. Young people starting employment must pay attention to several elements, the most important of which is the employment contract itself. This – according to the Labor Code – should be presented to the employee in writing and at the latest on the day when the work begins.
The contract between the employee and the employer to be valid from the point of view of labor law must contain several elements. First, it must specify the parties to the contract, i.e. who is the employer and who is the employee, and indicate the date of its conclusion and the type of contract. In addition, there should be information about the amount of remuneration, the scope of duties, what hours and what time the employee is obliged to work, and information about his / her leave.
It should be remembered that in the case of a contract of employment, the minimum guaranteed thresholds apply. An employer can not offer less than PLN 2100 gross in the case of full-time employment. In the case of a contract of mandate, the minimum hourly rate, effective from 2018, is PLN 13.70 gross per hour.
The key issue in the contract is also the issue of holiday entitlement. Young employees who take up their first paid employment in a given calendar year are entitled to 20 holiday days.
Remember that it is best to determine all organizational issues at the stage of possibly signing a contract or negotiating with a future employer – so that they do not arise only at the stage of payment of remuneration.
