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Hire in Poland
In recent years, Poland has turned into a popular outsourcing destination for international companies. Especially when it comes to hiring remote software developers and IT specialists, the country ranks among the top destinations in Europe.
This is not only due to the high standards of provided services but also to the fact that costs are significantly lower than in other European countries which counts for wages as well as for social security contributions.
Employment Contract
Polish labour law generally distinguishes between indefinite, fixed-term (extendable up to 33 months) and probation contracts (maximum three months). In order to be legally binding, employment contracts should be in writing and contain at least the following information:
- Identification of both parties
- Type of contract
- Date of its conclusion
- Date of commencement (and employment duration for temporary contracts)
- Workplace
- Type of work
- Base salary as well as other compensation or benefits
- Working hours and annual leave
When concluding an employment contract in Poland, employees and employers can decide to place the employment relationship under a foreign legislation. However, this does not mean that Polish labour law regulations do not have to be observed, especially in cases where the foreign law adopted for the employment contract is less beneficial for the employee.
Working time
Working Hours and Breaks
Standard working time in Poland is fixed at eight hours per day and 40 hours per week. After having work for six consecutive hours, the employee must take a break of at least 15 minutes.
An employee’s daily rest period should be at least eleven hours. Furthermore, employees have the right to a consecutive rest period of at least 35 hours per week.
Overtime
Generally, any work performed after standard working hours is considered overtime and must be remunerated at higher rates. Currently, compensation rates for overtime work are set as follows:
- 150% of normal wages for overtime required on standard working days (at daytime)
- 200% of normal wages for overtime required exceptionally on a Sunday – or public holiday or usual rest day – or at nighttime
Labour law in Poland limits the maximum amount of overtime work an employee is allowed to carry out over the course of one calendar year to 150 hours. Weekly working time is restricted to 48 hours – including overtime.
Payroll
Employees in Poland must be paid at least once a month.
Minimum Wage
On January 1, 2023 the national minimum wage rose to PLN 3,490 gross. The minimum hourly rate is PLN 22.80. In July, the minimum wage will increase to PLN 3,600 per month and to PLN 23.50 per hour.
Sick Pay
Employees who are unable to perform their work due to illness or injury are entitled to sick pay equaling 80% of their usual wages. During the first 33 days of sickness-related absence from work, it is the employer’s obligation to cover sick pay – limited to 14 days in case the employee is aged 50 or older.
Long-term sickness, i.e. sickness exceeding 33 days, is covered by Polish social security at the same rate but is limited to a maximum of 182 days per year. For every absence from work due to sickness or injury, the employee has to provide the employer with a medical certificate.
Bonuses
There is no law in Poland which requires the payment of an annual bonus.
Hire in Denmark
Denmark is known for its extremely good work-life balance, resulting in increased productivity and job satisfaction levels. In fact, Denmark’s workforce is considered to be one of the most productive and hard-working in the world. Although the country’s official language is Danish, the majority of the population has avery good command of English, making it fairly easy to integrate new Danish employees into your remote team.
Employment Contract
In Denmark, every employee working for more than eight hours per week over a period of more than one month needs to be provided with an employment contract which should contain at least the basic terms of employment such as:
- Identification of both parties
- Date of commencement (and employment duration for temporary contracts)
- Workplace
- Job description as well as duties and responsibilities
- Basic salary and other compensation or benefits as well as payment details
- Working hours
- Total number of holidays
- Notice periods for employment termination
- Reference to collective agreements
Working time
Working Hours and Breaks
For most employees in Denmark, a standard working week is 37 hours with work being distributed over five days from Monday to Friday.
In most companies, employees receive a 30 minutes’ breakfast break – either paid or unpaid – as well as an additional break if the working day exceeds six hours. An employee’s daily rest period must not be shorter than eleven hours and he or she must be given at least one proper rest day – i.e. 24 hours following a daily rest period – per week.
Overtime
Overtime work is quite common in certain industries and job areas. However, Danish labour law rules that employees must not work for more than 48 hours per week, including overtime.
Additional hours can either be paid out together with the employee’s normal salary or compensated with additional days off. Where applicable, overtime regulations must be clearly stated in the employment contract.
Payroll
Salaries in Denmark are usually paid once a month.
Minimum Wage
There is no national minimum wage in Denmark. Instead, minimum pay rates are defined by collective agreements for each individual industry.
Sick Pay
Sick leave and sick pay in Denmark are subject to collective agreements and individual employment contracts. As a general rule, employees should continue receiving their full wages for five weeks – extendable by another four weeks.
For those employees who are not covered by a collective agreement, sick leave is governed by the Act on Sickness Benefit. According to this regulation, employers are obligated to pay their employees their normal salary during the first 30 days of sickness-related absence from work. Any additional sick days – up to 22 weeks – are covered by social security.
Bonuses
There is no law which mandates the payment of a 13th salary in Denmark but performance-based bonuses become increasingly popular.
Hire in Canada
One of the reasons why hiring remote workers in Canada is such an attractive option for foreign companies is obviously the non-existing language barrier. What’s more,Canada’s workforce ranks among the best educated in theworld, with more than half of the country’s active workers aged between 25 and 64 holding a degree from a tertiary education institution.
Employment Contract
Although not legally required, it is best practice to put a written employment contract in place when hiring an employee in Canada, especially as it provides both parties with better legal grounds.
Unless stated otherwise, employment contracts are considered to be indefinite – however, fixed-term contracts are possible. Regardless of their length, employment contracts in Canada should at least outline the following basic employment terms:
- Identification of both parties
- Date of commencement (and employment duration for temporary contracts)
- Work location
- Job title, duties and responsibilities
- Basic salary as well as other compensation and benefits
- Working hours
- Total number of holidays
- Notice periods for employment termination
- Non-competition clause
Except for Quebec where language policies enforce the use of French, employment contracts in Canada should be written in English and state salaries and other compensation in Canadian Dollars.
Working time
Basic employment standards in Canada – including working time, sick pay, leave entitlements, taxation and notice periods – vary between provinces and territories. Unless stated otherwise, the information provided in this guide refers to industries and companies which are subject to federal regulations as detailed in Canada’s Labour Code.
Working Hours and Breaks
In federally regulated industries, a standard working week is 40 hours, i.e. five eight-hour days, with a minimum weekly rest period of one full day – usually Sunday. In no case should an employee’s weekly working time exceed 48 hours.
Overtime
Any work performed beyond standard working hours is considered overtime and must be remunerated at a rate of at least 150% of normal wages – common standard set by most provinces and territories. However, provincial and territorial legal standards vary when it comes to the definition of overtime and its limitations.
Payroll
Payroll cycles throughout Canada vary greatly. While some employees are paid on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, semi-monthly and monthly pay is equally possible. Under no circumstances should employees get paid less often than once a month.
Minimum Wage
Minimum wages in Canada vary between provinces, but there is a federal minimum wage which is currently (February 2023) set at CAD 15.55 per hour.
The federal minimum wage applies to workers in industries which are regulated by the federal government. Provincial minimum wages are set as follows:
- Alberta: CAD 15.00 per hour
- British Columbia: CAD 15.65 per hour
- Manitoba: CAD 13.50 per hour
- New Brunswick: CAD 13.75 per hour
- Newfoundland and Labrador: CAD 13.70 per hour (due to increase to CAD 14.50 per hour in April 2023, and to CAD 15.00 in October 2023)
- Northwest Territories: CAD 15.20 per hour
- Nova Scotia: CAD 13.60 per hour (due to increase to CAD 14.50 per hour in April 2023)
- Nunavut: CAD 16.00 per hour
- Ontario: CAD 15.50 per hour
- Prince Edward Island: CAD 14.50 per hour (due to increase to CAD 15.00 until October 2023)
- Quebec: CAD 14.25 per hour
- Saskatchewan: CAD 13.00 per hour
- Yukon: CAD 15.70 per hour
Hire in Ireland
There are three main reasons why international employers should consider hiring in Ireland: First of all, the country’s labour force is young and highly educated. In fact, the country’s population is the youngest in the whole of Europe and according to IDA Ireland, over 53.5% of Ireland’s population aged between 30 and 34 hold a third level qualification, with science, technology, maths and engineering being in high demand.
Second, Ireland is considered to be a pro-business country and the Irish economy ranks among the fastest growing economies in Europe. And finally, the country has a very modern telecommunication infrastructure providing the means for an efficient workflow and smooth cooperation processes with remote team members.
Employment Contract
Irish labour law does not specifically require a written employment contract. However, employers must provide their new employees with a written statement outlining the terms of employment within the first two months after the employee’s first day. The statement should include the following information:
- Identification of both parties
- Date of commencement (and employment duration for temporary contracts)
- Workplace
- Job title and description
- Salary and payment details
- Applying pension scheme
- Working hours and overtime regulations
- Total number of holidays
- Regulations on sick leave and sick pay
- Notice periods for employment termination
- Reference to collective agreements
Working time
Working Hours and Breaks
The legal maximum employees are allowed to work within one week is 48 hours but a standard working week in Ireland comprises 40 hours usually spread over five days.
Rest periods in Ireland are regulated as follows:
- minimum daily rest period: eleven consecutive hours
- minimum weekly rest period: 24 consecutive hours
- 15-minute break after 4.5 hours of consecutive work
- 30-minute break after six hours of consecutive work
Usually, breaks are not paid.
Overtime
It is up to the employer and the employee to agree on overtime payment as there is no statutory obligation for employers to grant extra pay for overtime work.
Payroll
Employees can be paid either weekly or monthly. In no case should payments be issued later than at the end of each month.
Minimum Wage
Minimum wage in Ireland varies depending on the employee’s age. In January 2024, the minimum wage rates increased to:
- EUR 14.30 for employees of 20 years and older
- EUR 12.17 for employees aged 19
- EUR 9.04 for employees aged 18
- EUR 7.91 for employees under 18
Contact Info
- H.R. ASSISTANT LTD, Ireland, Cork, Munster Technological UNVRST, Bishopstown, T12 Y275
- +353899798125, +353899794110
- inform@hr-assistants.com