Entering the labor market and looking for your first “real” job is certainly not an easy and stressful task. Wading through the maze of advertisements, school and university graduates look for good offers and – after sending a meticulously created CV – expect answers and invitations to an interview with hope. The first job is waiting for people who will present themselves well to a potential employer, meet their requirements and convince them to themselves. The lucky ones will be able to find employment in the profession, others will enjoy the opportunity to gain (currently so valuable) experience and earn a few pennies.
How to save yourself a lot of stress and be well prepared to start your first job? In this case, knowledge may be extremely helpful – especially about the basic rights and obligations of the employee and the employer in such a situation. Here are some important information, the knowledge of which may facilitate the start of a new job.
First job – what contract?
The contract is the legal basis for entering into an employment relationship – it contains the most important information about it. By showing vigilance and knowledge in this matter, the young worker can take care of his interests as well as impress his employer.
The general rule is that the employment contract should be in writing. What information should you look for on a well-drafted contract? In addition to the parties, the date of conclusion and the nature of the contract, it should contain such data as: employee duties, type of work (i.e. position), place of work, working time, starting date and amount of remuneration.
A very important issue related to the conclusion of an employment contract is the date of its conclusion. The first job, as well as each subsequent one, is associated with the signing of a contract and it should be signed on the day of starting work at the latest. Drafting a contract is an important duty of the employer because hiring employees without a contract is illegal (constitutes a violation of the employee’s rights) and may result in a fine.
Types of employment contracts
It is also useful to familiarize yourself with the types of employment contracts and the basic rules on how to enter into them. The provisions of Polish labor law define five types of such contracts:
- for a trial period, concluded for max. 3 months (after this period, it cannot be concluded a second time with the same employee),
- for a specified period, specifying the moment after which it ends (it can be concluded up to three times with one employee for the total period of 33 months, from the day following the lapse of 33 months or from the date of the fourth contract – the employee will be employed under an employment contract for an indefinite period),
- for an indefinite period,
It is common to seek employment for an indefinite period because such a solution gives the prospect of permanent employment, stabilization and normalization of the life situation. However, people who have not managed to get this type of contract should not wring their hands. Other types of contracts also bring specific benefits – they give the opportunity to test the company and yourself on the position offered. In the case of fixed-term and trial-period contracts, when the type of employment does not meet the expectations and dreams of the employee, it is much easier and – above all – without negative consequences – to resign from work.
Getting started – you should know about it
The starting employee must prepare for the fact that part of his time in the first days of work will be forced to devote to compulsory activities to which every new employee under a contract of employment is subject.
We should first of all mention the (perhaps not very interesting, but extremely important) compulsory training in occupational health and safety (OHS), adapted to the position at which the employee is employed. Medical examinations will also be necessary to confirm that there are no health contraindications to work in a given position.
A young employee should not be surprised that the employer keeps records of his working time and personal files containing will be all the most important documents concerning his and the employment relationship concluded with him.
It is also the employer’s obligation to register the employee with social insurance (including pension, sickness, accident and health insurance) within 7 days from the moment of employment. This is a very important task of the superior, failure to do so may result in a fine of up to 5,000 PLN fine.
First job and the right to holiday leave
What is certainly interesting for every “new” employee is the issue of annual leave. The first job entitles you to 20 vacation days per year. The higher amount – 26 days – is due after reaching 10 years of work experience. The employment period also includes the duration of education (depending on the type of education: graduation from university – 8 years, post-secondary school – 6 years, technical school – 5 years, high school – 4 years).
First job defines the method of calculating annual leave. The leave is calculated proportionally (1/12 for each month worked), it can be granted after the first month of work. Of course, the period of leave must be agreed with the employer. The exception is the so-called leave on request (maximum 4 days a year). Please note that this is not an additional leave, but is the use of “normal” vacation days.
First job – pay
The issue is remuneration – the employee should be aware that the payment must be in his hands or on the account within the first 10 days of the following calendar month. In the case of full-time employment, the legislator specifies the level of the minimum wage, which in 2020 is PLN 2600.
Summarizing – first job is associated with many aspects about which keep in mind. However, reading them before starting an employment relationship can help reduce stress and protect yourself in terms of your rights and tasks to be performed.