Compliance with legal regulations is a key responsibility for employers. Audits of employee documentation and workplace practices help ensure that regulations are followed. Non-compliance can lead to fines, sanctions or employee lawsuits. Our audits also help identify potential risks and mitigate associated threats. By monitoring and adjusting documentation and practices to current laws, clients can minimise the legal risks.

For our clients, we:

• Conduct comprehensive audits of employment relationships, identifying areas of risk and offering solutions that will minimise or eliminate these risks.
• Identify and recommend solutions that increase legal security while reducing financial or organisational burdens.
• Verify the compliance of internal regulations, such as policies, procedures and employment-related documents, ensuring they meet Polish and international requirements and align with the client’s needs, while also protecting their interests.
• Conduct compliance audits, proposing necessary or recommended changes to ensure effectiveness and completeness.
• Prepare red flag reports identifying irregularities and inconsistencies, along with recommendations for necessary changes.

Recent projects include:

• Conducting a comprehensive audit for a client acting as an employer of record.
• Advising on a project involving the transfer of part of a workplace to another employer, including a report addressing labour law risks.

We have observed a consistent rise in reports concerning mobbing, discrimination (including harassment and sexual harassment), bribery, corruption and conflicts of interest. These are just some of the issues requiring employer intervention.

For our clients, we:

• Assess and appropriately classify such incidents and abuses.
• Develop and implement suitable procedures and reporting systems.
• Train employees on these matters.
• Conduct investigations to verify the legitimacy of reports and eliminate potential unwanted incidents or abuses.
• Advise on effectively concluding investigations.
• Implement post-audit actions and recommendations to protect the client’s interests.
• Provide crisis management support, offering comprehensive assistance in these cases.
• Support PR and communication efforts in both internal and external relations.

Recent projects include:

• Conducting dozens of investigations, including in several high-profile cases.
• Handling investigations involving international employee teams, taking into account the specific needs of multicultural work environments.

An efficient employment structure improves performance, streamlines processes, optimises costs, and enhances daily operations. We co-develop and tailor organisational structures to meet business needs, regulatory requirements and public legal obligations.

Implementing such structures often involves workforce reductions for reasons unrelated to the employees.

For our clients, we:

• Examine organisational structures, helping define occupational groups and roles subject to restructuring.
• Identify reasons for redundancies, such as job eliminations or reductions in occupational groups.
• Develop strategies and establish redundancy schedules.
• Assist in determining selection criteria for redundancies.
• Prepare necessary documentation.
• Support negotiations with social partners to develop redundancy principles.
• Recommend solutions to mitigate the risk of litigation.
• Advise on constructing severance packages for affected employees.
• Provide PR and communication support to minimise the negative impacts of redundancy processes.
• Ensure safety and comfort by taking over the entire process.

Recent projects include:

• Managing redundancies affecting several thousand employees at once.
• Supporting group redundancy processes and collective disputes during the closure of 90% of production, with a significant emphasis on social dialogue due to future plans.
• Advising on monitored redundancies involving several dozen employees.

Creating effective compensation systems is crucial for attracting talent and motivating employees. These systems must also avoid any form of discrimination or unequal treatment. Simplicity and transparency in verifying compliance are equally important.

For our clients, we:

• Design compensation systems or specific elements, ensuring legal compliance and alignment with the client’s goals.
• Prepare legal documentation related to compensation (regulations, policies, management documents).
• Review job descriptions to assess equal work or work of equal value.
• Calculate pay gaps.
• Prepare reports assessing compensation for discrimination and equal treatment.
• Audit the principles for granting salary components and other work-related benefits.
• Evaluate the tax and social security implications of salary components and other benefits.
• Represent clients in court cases concerning pay discrimination.

Employers and trade unions often have differing interests and perspectives. Building constructive relationships enables the effective resolution of disputes and conflicts, helping to avoid strikes, lockouts or protest actions. Employers should not become hostages to unions, as this negatively impacts both businesses and employees.

For our clients, we:

• Conduct audits of documentation and union activities, identifying issues and necessary actions.
• Challenge union membership numbers in cases of doubt and represent clients in court on such matters.
• Lead negotiations with trade unions, including during restructuring processes, group layoffs, amendments to collective labour agreements, and other regulatory changes.
• Develop strategies, prepare necessary documentation for collective disputes, and handle day-to-day employer-union relations.
• Manage collective disputes on behalf of employers.
• Represent clients in court cases involving union representatives, including criminal proceedings; in particular, in matters concerning the termination of employment contracts with union activists, disputes over the non-existence of collective disputes, or the hindrance of union activities.
• Prepare internal and external communications for employees, media, investors and other stakeholders.

Properly structuring relationships with board members and senior executives is critical given the heightened expectations of this group. At the same time, ending these relationships carries significant financial risks due to the high salaries and substantial workloads involved.

For our clients, we:

• Provide advice on hiring board members and senior executives.
• Develop optimal employment models considering tax and social security implications.
• Negotiate terms and prepare the employment structure and documentation (employment contracts, management contracts, civil agreements, confidentiality and non-compete agreements).
• Prepare the corporate documentation necessary for commencing cooperation with board members and represent clients in registry proceedings before the National Court Register.
• Create and evaluate short- and long-term bonus programmes for executives (e.g. stock options, phantom shares, etc.).
• Advise on hiring executives in companies with State Treasury participation, ensuring compliance with the “new anti-corruption law” and preparing the necessary documentation (resolutions, contracts).
• Support clients during the termination of contracts with executives.
• Handle court and arbitration disputes with former executives.

Recent Projects

• Conducted a comprehensive audit of collaboration models with executives, ensuring compliance with tax and social security obligations.
• Advised on the immediate termination and contract resolution of nine board members from a parent company and affiliates in Hungary and the Czech Republic, coordinating advice with international law firms within the Ius Laboris alliance.
• Represented a client in a court dispute with a former HR director over regulatory bonuses following a settlement agreement.
• Advised and represented a client in a discrimination and unequal treatment claim concerning nationality.
• Managed a high-profile court case involving mobbing and discrimination against a senior executive; the case was valued at $20 million and had a significant reputational and business impact.

For many businesses, competitive advantage is a key factor for success. Protecting against competition allows companies to maintain or enhance this edge. This helps businesses retain or grow their market share, which can lead to increased profits and financial stability. In this area, we focus primarily on prevention, as it is crucial for sustaining competitiveness.

For our clients, we:

• Develop and implement procedures and policies to protect confidential information.
• Prepare confidentiality agreements and advise on securing trade secrets.
• Draft non-compete agreements tailored to the specific nature of the client’s industry, including clauses ensuring the enforceability of non-compete obligations for former employees.
• Create and implement procedures to identify and prevent conflicts of interest.
• Conduct training and workshops on non-compete clauses, conflicts of interest and confidential information protection, emphasising practical aspects and real-life examples.
• Help minimise the negative consequences of potential breaches, enforce damage recovery and stop further violations.
• Represent clients in disputes with individuals who breach non-compete obligations, confidentiality duties or who engage in conflicts of interest or acts of unfair competition (e.g. inducing employees to terminate contracts with their employer).
• Provide crisis management practices, offering clients PR and communication support in internal and external relations in the event of violations involving unfair competition, non-compete breaches or conflicts of interest (e.g. confidential information leaks or poaching of employee groups by competitors).

Recent Projects:

• Developed internal procedures addressing issues such as employee relationships, supervisor-subordinate romances, or hiring related individuals in competing entities, to minimise risks (protecting employer interests and employee privacy).
• Advised a financial sector client during pre-trial stages and subsequently represented them in a court dispute against a former board member concerning a breach of a non-compete clause.

During economic slowdowns or when cutting costs and personnel is necessary, external employment models become more attractive due to their flexibility compared to traditional employment structures. Utilising staffing agencies, secondments or outsourcing has become a regular part of organisational realities. These employment forms can provide an economic advantage, but require professional support in order to minimise the potential risks involved.

For our clients, we:

• Review agreements with outsourcing providers and temporary employment agencies for legal compliance and business alignment.
• Develop strategies for implementing new employment models.
• Draft outsourcing agreements, service contracts and agreements with temporary employment agencies, along with other documentation concerning the use of external workforce.
• Provide ongoing advisory services during collaborations with temporary employment agencies or outsourcing service providers.
• Offer comprehensive litigation support in the event of court disputes.
• Represent clients in administrative proceedings regarding the registration or deregistration of temporary employment agencies.
• Advise temporary employment agencies on all aspects of their activities, including employee assignments abroad, in close cooperation with the Immigration and Global Mobility Team.

Recent Projects:

• Advised a client entering the Polish market on structuring employment models (selecting optimal forms of employment) and developed internal employment documentation.
• Supported a technology sector client in an employee-outsourcing project, preparing contracts that addressed the tax and labour law risks.
• Advised a client starting a collaboration with a temporary employment agency by preparing recommendations and necessary documentation.
• Represented a client in numerous court disputes with the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), which challenged a cooperation model (a „contract triangle”), demanding the calculation and payment of social insurance contributions on all remuneration paid.

Inclusivity, along with diversity and equity, is a key element in fostering a positive work environment. DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) promotes employee diversity, ensures equal opportunities and ensures all workers are included, regardless of cultural, ethnic, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability or other differences.

For our clients, we:

• Draft procedures outlining the client’s commitments to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.
• Assess the implementation of DEI policies within organisations.
• Develop and review employee and corporate documentation (codes of ethics, regulations, procedures) in line with DEI principles.
• Train managerial staff and employees on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• Evaluate remuneration and benefit systems for adherence to DEI principles, particularly regarding equal treatment and avoiding discrimination.
• Manage crisis situations related to DEI initiatives raised by employees.
• Design actions to familiarise employees with DEI goals.

Employers collect and process significant amounts of their employees’ personal data. Without proper data management, this can become a source of risk. Our data protection advisory services help ensure appropriate security measures are in place.

• Conduct comprehensive audits of data processing systems, identifying potential issues in the structures and scope of data, as well as processing workflows.
• Diagnose problems and issue recommendations for corrective actions to help clients avoid reputational losses, significant financial penalties, or legal proceedings.
• Implement and monitor tailored „therapies” (intensive or conservative, depending on the organisation’s state) to address areas needing improvement or enhancement in terms of data security.
• Train client personnel to improve their understanding of data protection principles, related risks, mitigation methods and incident responses, including data breaches.
• After the therapy, provide ongoing preventive measures, delivering regular updates on key areas.
• Offer active support during inspections by supervisory authorities or incidents involving data protection violations, ensuring the swift implementation of legal and organisational recommendations to prevent further losses. We file incident reports with supervisory authorities on behalf of clients.
• Assist clients in safely implementing AI-based solutions and compliant procedures for candidate and employee verification (background checks).
• Represent clients in administrative and court proceedings concerning data protection violations, often initiated by employees or former employees. We handle correspondence with supervisory authorities and appear before administrative courts.
• Draft necessary documentation and implement best practices for data protection during remote work.

Recent Projects:

• Represented a client in a case concerning the retention of recruitment data – the court agreed with our argumentation and rejected the supervisory authority’s interpretation requiring the deletion of recruitment process data.
• Advised on the use of background checks in Poland.
• Assisted a client in transferring employee data related to the transfer of part of their business operations.
• Assessed the GDPR compliance of AI systems used for workplace safety purposes.

Navigating complex regulations regarding social insurance and evolving ZUS interpretations poses significant challenges for employers. Proper support allows businesses to meet their legal obligations, care for employees, avoid disputes and claims, manage costs and maintain competitiveness in the labour market.

For our clients, we:

• Analyse employee benefits for social insurance contribution requirements.
• Provide advice in disputes with ZUS, particularly concerning company social benefit funds, employee outsourcing and contribution payment obligations for subcontractors.
• Determine whether social insurance obligations arise from legal relationships other than employment.
• Assess social insurance implications of international assignments, secondments, or remote work conducted from another country.
• Prepare requests for interpretations of social insurance and health insurance regulations.
• Draft applications for A1 certificates or equivalent documents issued under bilateral social security agreements.
• Develop agreements for the transfer of payer obligations to employed individuals.
• Recommend solutions to minimise social insurance risks and avoid negative outcomes during ZUS audits.
• Offer ongoing procedural support during ZUS audits, including sick leave inspections.
• Prepare appeals against ZUS decisions and represent clients in administrative and court proceedings regarding such decisions.

Recent Projects:

• Represented a client during a ZUS audit concerning collaboration with a temporary employment agency. The audit resulted in over 200 decisions requiring the Client to pay social insurance contributions. We prepared appeals and handled over 200 court cases.
• Secured multiple wins against ZUS in disputes over social fund payments, subcontractor contributions and cases requiring employees to refund inappropriately received sickness benefits.

Tax and social security systems are complex and change regularly. A proper assessment of their impact is crucial for the financial stability of employers and also affects the situation of employees. Increasing activity of employers and employees outside Poland also requires knowledge of local law and its impact on tax and social security matters.

For our clients:

• We establish the taxation rules for all benefits provided to employees.
• We prepare and implement effective structures for the employment and remuneration of board members, management staff, and Polish and foreign employees.
• We apply for individual rulings from tax authorities and the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS).
• We create incentive systems for employees, taking their tax implications into account.
• In cooperation with Ius Laboris member law firms, we assess the tax status of employees seconded abroad and foreign employees working in Poland and define the related tax and social security obligations.
• We determine the tax consequences of employee stock-based and stock option incentive programmes.
• We determine the tax and social security liabilities of employees seconded to work in Poland and abroad.
• We calculate the required tax advances and social security contributions in Poland.
• We determine the costs of seconding employees to and from Poland.
• We prepare and submit annual tax returns on behalf of seconded employees in Poland.
• We apply for social security certificates.

We understand that immigration matters can be burdensome (constant changes in regulations, varying practices of authorities, extended decision-making times). Our large and qualified team relieves clients of the entire burden of managing such matters. We provide certainty that the employment of foreigners complies with regulations and, thanks to our knowledge of the authorities’ practices, we offer the most consistent solutions.

For our clients:

• We comprehensively plan immigration processes.
• We audit the client’s immigration practice and determine the correct legal basis for employment.
• We prepare the necessary documents and applications (work permits, residence permits, declarations of employment, visas).
• We submit documents and applications on behalf of the client.
• We monitor the status of the case and keep clients informed.
• We ensure continuous supervision of every case we handle.
• We handle thousands of cases throughout Poland – our offices in Warsaw, Krakow and Poznan allow us to take quick and efficient action.
• We handle mass cases – we have experience and are able to manage hundreds or even thousands of cases for one client simultaneously.
• We provide training on the legalisation of stay and employment of foreigners.

Proper incentive programmes significantly impact increased productivity, talent retention, reduced turnover, improved employee morale and satisfaction, as well as increased innovation and creativity. These solutions should also be adapted to the employer’s changing budgetary capabilities, ensuring the necessary flexibility and allowing employees to develop their talents while furthering the employer’s business goals.

For our clients:

• We create transparent remuneration systems.
• We build effective bonus systems, including retention bonuses.
• We implement global incentive systems, adapting them to Polish legal requirements.
• We help verify career development paths for legal compliance.
• We suggest non-salary solutions, pointing out the legal and business (cost) implications.
• We monitor market trends in employee benefits.

Recently, we worked on the following interesting projects:

• We verified dozens of global bonus programmes for compliance with Polish HR regulations and the possibility of implementing them in Polish companies.
• We developed and drafted the principles and assumptions for an annual and quarterly bonus system.

Internal regulations, procedures, policies and contracts can best meet the expectations of clients and their employees when they are written in plain language, are understandable for the recipients and lead to the intended management goals being achieved. In cooperation with clients, we follow these principles.

For our clients:

• We prepare and implement full HR documentation, not only involving labour law (contracts, regulations, procedures, etc.) but also in the broader field of People & Culture (codes of ethics, anti-mobbing procedures, whistleblowing procedures, personal data processing procedures, and others).
• We create and implement comprehensive employee documentation related to large restructuring processes, including group layoffs, workplace transfers, and others.
• We provide access to current, legally secure templates for employment contracts, non-compete agreements, confidentiality agreements, and other standard employee documents.
• We recommend actions and strategies to ensure the effective implementation of the documents we prepare.
• We advise on how to achieve business goals when creating HR and compliance documents.

Recently, we worked on the following interesting projects:

• We prepared comprehensive documentation (all contracts, procedures, regulations) necessary for employing around 600 employees in Poland for a foreign branch, advising on employment structure development and selecting bonus and incentive systems.
• We advised a Polish public institution on preparing new remuneration regulations along with regulations introducing changes in position and salary upon reaching a certain age. The project required the application of non-standard remuneration solutions due to the specific nature of the client’s industry.
• We advised an international shopping centre operator during the development and implementation of an internal anti-mobbing and anti-discrimination procedure.

Clients often invest significant time, resources and effort into creating new products, services, technologies and innovations. Protecting intellectual property rights allows them to preserve this value and prevent the theft or misuse of these ideas. We support clients in various industries in acquiring rights to intellectual property and in legal disputes with employees in this area. This helps them ensure and maintain the security of their business activities.

For our clients:

• We organise the acquisition of copyright to works created by employees and contractors.
• We conduct audits of contracts and regulations regarding the validity and scope of acquiring intellectual property rights.
• We prepare contract templates.
• We create regulations for rationalisation and innovation.
• We develop strategies whereby employers acquire industrial property rights (patents, utility models, industrial designs).
• We represent clients in intellectual property-related legal disputes with employees and contractors.

Eliminating undesirable situations, such as mobbing, discrimination, unequal treatment and violations of personal rights, significantly contributes to creating a safe and friendly workplace, which translates into increased employee effectiveness, turnover, workplace atmosphere, and work-life balance.

For our clients:

• We create and implement solutions aimed at preventing and counteracting such undesirable issues.
• We assess the validity of reports, identify potential risks and claims, choose and implement optimal solutions.
• We focus on prevention and a proper understanding of the issue by the employer and employees (including management).
• We develop and monitor the implementation of anti-discrimination and anti-mobbing policies.
• We regularly train employees to prevent mobbing and discrimination (tailored to the employment level).
• We advise on how to deal with claims made for ulterior motives or complaints resulting from incorrect assessment of the situation by the complainant.
• We conduct explanatory proceedings, particularly with the support of our compliance department.
• We assist with PR and communication.
• We represent clients in legal disputes related to undesirable HR situations, including mobbing and discrimination.
• We successfully implement litigation strategies, developed in consideration of previously undertaken preventive and explanatory actions.

Recently, we worked on the following interesting projects:

• Practical workshops for employees to raise awareness and correctly understand the essence of these undesirable HR phenomena.
• Dozens of legal proceedings, including several high-profile cases.
• Cases concerning all types of mobbing – vertical, horizontal, and reverse mobbing.

International employee mobility often involves complicated processes that vary depending on the country. Ensuring such projects are handled comprehensively allows employers to avoid errors in interpreting regulations and ensure they comply with the applicable law. This helps minimise legal and financial risks while ensuring positive employee experiences.

For our clients:

• We complete all necessary formalities related to employees’ departure abroad (secondments to the EU, secondments and employment outside the EU, relocations, including multi-country employment, creating international employment structures).
• We handle the entire process of obtaining work permits and visas for employees seconded outside the EU.
• We coordinate international projects on a one-stop-shop basis – we collaborate with Ius Laboris colleagues, while acting as the project manager (thus providing clients with the comfort of working with a single person).
• We prepare policies and regulations related to global mobility.

Disputes with employees resonate among other staff members. Employees observe the employer’s stance closely – as they see us, so they describe us. Therefore, we approach every case considering its broader context and its impact on morale, potential further claims, shaping attitudes and decisions of other employees.

In our practice, we follow the general principle of prevention. The fewer disputes there are, the more resources our clients can dedicate to running their business.

For our clients:

• We engage in mediation and settlement discussions to avoid or resolve disputes at an early stage.
• We handle legal disputes involving People & Culture, including matters related to dismissals, wages, bonuses, overtime, additional benefits and employee perks, mobbing, unequal treatment and discrimination, non-compete clauses, conflicts of interest, unfair competition, workplace accidents, ZUS obligations, and determining the existence of an employment relationship.
• We also handle misdemeanour and criminal cases related to employee rights, management responsibility and other issues related to HR management and compliance.
• We develop comprehensive litigation strategies combining employment issues, ZUS matters, tax, misdemeanour and criminal law (e.g. cases involving an appeal against the termination of an employment contract, the refund of unlawfully received benefits and criminal cases).
• We manage multi-threaded cases comprehensively, following the one-stop-shop principle, ensuring consistency and, as a result, increasing the effectiveness of our litigation strategies.
• We handle cases throughout Poland – our offices in Warsaw, Krakow and Poznan allow us to manage them efficiently in terms of time and cost.
• We are prepared to simultaneously handle hundreds or even thousands of cases for a single client.
• We represent clients before all courts, including the Supreme Court.

Restructurings are an inherent part of running a business. They can affect the company’s image in the eyes of employees, clients, business partners and local communities. Employers who provide support and care for their employees in difficult situations gain a reputation as responsible and ethical employers. It is also important for employers to act in accordance with the law in this regard. Failing to meet these obligations may lead to costly legal disputes and financial consequences.

For our clients:

• We coordinate international restructuring projects through daily cooperation with labour law firms in over 50 jurisdictions, as part of the Ius Laboris alliance.
• We provide comprehensive support for restructuring projects in all areas of People & Culture, not only in labour law but also in ZUS, tax, PPK and PPE matters, criminal law and compliance.
• We run a crisis management practice, offering immediate support in PR and communication.
• We prepare the necessary documentation and schedules.
• We assist in unifying employment conditions.

We recently worked on the following interesting projects:

• We advised on HR law during the merger of companies and the transition of a collective labour agreement.
• We supported a client in a global project for the transition of IT employees to another company.

The priority of every employer is to ensure safe and hygienic working conditions for their employees. Organising work in accordance with occupational health and safety regulations helps minimise the risk of accidents and occupational diseases. This, in turn, contributes to the protection of employees’ health and lives and positively impacts the work process.

For our clients:

• We conduct initial and periodic training on workplace instructions.
• We conduct specialised training for employees designated to provide first aid and perform fire-fighting actions.
• We carry out ‘zero audits’, preparing reports identifying risks and action plans regarding occupational health and safety.
• We establish definitions of safe and hygienic working conditions for employees, including those working remotely.
• We verify working conditions, prepare risk assessment forms and all related health and safety documentation in the company.
• We support clients in relations with the prosecutor’s office, the national Labour Inspectorate (PIP), social labour inspectorates, and trade unions in matters related to workplace safety.
• We represent clients in court proceedings concerning workplace accidents and related claims.
• We participate in conducting post-accident investigations.
• We prepare necessary changes to global and local procedures, indicating areas for modification within the company, improving communication.
• We prepare an analysis of working conditions regarding hazardous, harmful, and burdensome factors.
• We assist in cooperation with the social labour inspectorate.

Collective labour agreements and other collective agreements are an important element of managing employee relations and affect many aspects of the functioning of employers and employees. They promote social partnership between the parties to the employment relationship. They ensure appropriate working conditions and employee well-being, while also respecting the employer’s interests.

For our clients:

• We conduct negotiations with trade unions.
• We prepare tailored documents (collective labour agreements, collective agreements, regulations).
• We develop communications for employees and externally to the organisation.
• We terminate and amend collective labour agreements, including those with eternity clauses or extensive guarantees regarding employment and working conditions.
• We run a crisis management practice, offering immediate support in the event of a crisis situation related to the actions taken (e.g. strike or protest action).
• We represent clients when registering company-level and supra-company collective labour agreements.
• We prepare additional reports for agreements.
• We provide opinions on provisions proposed by trade unions.

Recently, we worked on the following interesting projects:

• Negotiating a new collective labour agreement for an energy group,
• Modifying a collective labour agreement concerning the remuneration tariff,
• Bringing about the partial termination of a collective labour agreement as part of negotiations with a trade union.

Employee pension security provided by employers is an important benefit that ensures employee loyalty and allows them to remain employed for many years.

For our clients:

• We create Employee Capital Plans (PPK).
• We support in choosing a financial institution to manage funds.
• We provide a hotline for HR departments and employees regarding PPK.
• We prepare Q&A materials.
• We evaluate alternatives in the form of Employee Pension Programmes (PPE) or other financial instruments (SOPs, derivatives, etc.).
• We guide clients through the process of merging entities with pension programmes.

Recently, we worked on the following interesting projects:

• Merging companies with different types of pension programmes for employees,
• Resolving issues related to missing PPK contributions due to the employee’s lack of diligence,
• Assessing the differentiation in additional employer-funded PPK contributions for various employee groups,
• Establishing PPK for foreign employers operating in Poland without a separate legal entity.

Shaping a positive employer image (employer branding) and creating an organisation full of respect, supporting diversity, and meeting the needs of all generations of employees is key to the success of today’s companies.

For our clients:

• We introduce solutions supporting all kinds of voluntary employee initiatives.
• We create innovative motivational programmes and benefits packages.
• We indicate which trends and solutions are desirable on the market, as well as what kind of mental and physical support employees expect.
• We implement solutions allowing funding for in vitro procedures, related to the gender reassignment of employees, and indicate how to support non-binary individuals.
• We implement wellbeing solutions that influence shaping employer branding.
• We support clients through difficult restructuring processes, rebuilding employees’ sense of security, creating communication strategies with employees and other interested parties.

The social benefits fund is an important way of supporting employees and helps build good relations in the workplace. An increasingly wide range of social services can lead to the creation of interesting and tailored social programmes, positively impacting the quality of life of employees.

For our clients:

• We prepare regulations for the social benefits fund and agreements for joint social activity.
• We help properly start and cease social activity.
• We assess cafeteria programmes in terms of the possibility of spending social fund resources on them.
• We assess the tax consequences of benefits spent on social purposes.
• We conduct audits of spending the social benefits fund resources.
• We support clients in the division of fund resources.
• We conduct talks with the social side regarding the agreement on the social benefits fund regulations and the method of awarding specific benefits.
• We advise and represent clients in matters involving the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) regarding the company’s social benefits fund.

Recently, we carried out the following interesting projects:

• Liquidating joint social activity of several companies within a group, preparing necessary documents and solutions regarding unpaid housing loans, preparing documentation and solutions on each of the companies forming the group continuing their individual social activities.
• Supporting a client in shaping a cafeteria programme so that the benefits could be considered as forms of social activity under the law.
• Preparing an opinion on various types of monetary contributions to the social benefits fund account in the context of their recognition as an employer’s expense.
• Representing a client in over 600 court cases against ZUS, which was demanding that benefits granted to employees from the social benefits fund be subject to social insurance contributions (we won in all the cases).

An employer should expect control over the performance of their obligations. Even the first steps in an inspection can influence its course and outcome, so proper preparation and knowledge about the rights of the inspecting entity and the entity being inspected are crucial.

For our clients:

• We analyse the procedures in areas frequently inspected, pointing out potential violations and then propose solutions to eliminate them.
• We conduct training on the scope and course of inspections, advising on what areas to pay special attention to and what to expect.
• We develop strategies for handling inspections.
• We provide ongoing substantive and procedural support during inspections.
• We advise on how to effectively implement post-inspection recommendations; in the event of unjustified recommendations, we help prepare explanations or appeals against the inspectors’ decisions.
• We advise on potential corrections to settlement documents.
• We represent clients in court disputes with the inspecting authorities, including criminal proceedings initiated by inspectorates.

Recently, we handled the following interesting projects:

• We handled cases brought by PIP regarding violations of regulations on the termination of employment contracts and special trade union protection, as well as violations of the ban on working on holidays in retail establishments.
• We represented a client following a PIP inspection of a company that did not have a physical office in Poland (all the employees worked remotely) and did not employ anyone who spoke Polish or was authorised to represent the employer.

More and more organisations are considering the use of artificial intelligence solutions in employee relations. Using AI can contribute to increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of employer actions, both in personnel management (recruitment, mood assessment, development and dismissal decisions) and in operational and strategic areas (work process optimisation and monitoring). It is also essential to ensure that employees’ privacy is properly protected and that personal data protection regulations are followed when using AI at work.

For our clients:

• We assess AI solutions in terms of personal data protection and privacy.
• We prepare implementation documentation (policies, procedures, regulations).
• We develop content used by chatbot solutions.
• We analyse the algorithms used for the risk of discrimination and unequal treatment.

Recently, we carried out the following interesting project:

• We assessed an AI-based occupational safety hazard analysis system.

Frequent employee absences, especially through the abuse of sick leave, have a negative impact not only on employers’ finances, but also disrupt work, burden other employees and serve as a demotivating factor. Abuses can and must be prevented.

For our clients:

• We construct comprehensive absenteeism prevention programmes, including those related to the misuse of sick leave.
• We support the implementation of these programmes and ensure they are monitored.
• We advise on how to take appropriate action against individuals committing abuses.
• We give recommendations on how to manage annual leaves to avoid or minimise vacation carryovers.
• We show how to manage the return to work of employees who have taken parental leave.

The financial industry has numerous regulations related to compensation, including regulations on appropriately managing the risks arising from compensation systems and preventing excessive risks. Banks must ensure their compensation systems comply with these regulations to avoid potential legal and regulatory consequences.

For our clients:

• We create regulations and compensation policies.
• We prepare compensation resolutions.
• We verify and adjust existing solutions.
• We provide support in identifying risk-takers.
• We prepare reports on compensation policy reviews.
• We develop bonus regulations for other employee groups, considering the specific nature of the financial and insurance industry.
• We support financial institutions in reporting pay gap data.
• We support financial institutions in reporting data on high-earning employees.
• We assist in the hiring and dismissal processes of board members and senior management.

Recently:

• We represented insurance companies and banks in court disputes regarding the payment of variable components of compensation.
• We advised on the management of conflicts of interest in banks.
• We prepared compensation policy review reports.

Interesting events:

• 19 April 2023 – presentation at a conference organised by MMC Poland: „Compensation policy in financial institutions – establishing, monitoring and controlling compensation systems”.
• 5 December 2023 – presentation at a conference organised by MMC Poland: „Compensation policy in financial institutions – best practices and regulatory requirements”.

Working time raises many questions for employers. Choosing the right working time system and schedule, extending settlement periods, calculating overtime and working on additional days is a major challenge for employers.

For our clients:

• We analyse clients’ needs regarding working hours, increased demand for work, shifts and overtime.
• We choose the appropriate systems, working time schedules, and settlement periods.
• We prepare documentation in connection with planning working time.
• We analyse existing solutions related to planning and settling working time, point out irregularities and solutions, including daily and weekly rest, work on the previous workday, permissible work on Sundays and holidays, as well as the proper assignment and settlement of shifts.
• We manage overtime issues experienced by clients, ensure its proper assignment and help keep it to a minimum.
• We help implement post-inspection recommendations related to working time, as well as preparing objections to inspection reports and responses to PIP interventions.
• We conduct training on working time for HR departments and management.
• We represent clients in court disputes regarding working time, especially those related to compensation for overtime work.
• We represent clients in cases concerning administrative and criminal liability for violations of working time regulations.

We know how difficult it is to manage a company at critical moments where unexpected events, whether temporary or permanent, cause significant difficulties in business operations and threaten serious financial, legal or reputational consequences. Therefore, managing crises from a legal, reputational, and business perspective is crucial.

For our clients:

• We provide immediate support from lawyers, including specialists in personal data protection, criminal law, occupational safety experts, and tax advisors, even when a crime is suspected inside the company (searches at the company’s premises, theft of business secrets).
• We support every aspect of information management and internal and external communication.
• We evaluate the circumstances of workplace accidents.
• We prepare documentation and recommendations in the event of activities by state inspection authorities (labour inspectorate, sanitary inspectorate, fire inspectorate, tax office, decisions affecting business operations).
• We prepare documents and procedures in the event of incidents related to personal data of employees and contractors.
• We implement internal compliance regulations, including crisis management policies.
• We prepare communications both internally and externally, including those for the media.
• We participate in activities, negotiations, and discussions.
• We conduct internal investigations, including using forensic tools.

We are uniquely experienced in handling serious criminal cases that involve companies, businesses, assets, reputations and freedom of office holders.

Clients turn to us in matters that are crucial for them, matters that are sensitive and generate risks in many aspects. We attach great importance to discretion and the protection of our clients’ good name.

We handle cases involving a wide range of matters including fraud, document forgery, theft, damage to the company, bribery and corruption, as well as all offences related to labour law (occupational health and safety, the termination of contracts, working time, remuneration, the Social Insurance Fund, SIP and trade unions). We also act in international matters, such as legal aid or extradition.

In addition, thanks to our long-standing presence in international expert organisations (IBA, Concilium and ECBA) and our experience in international cases, we are able to provide prompt and professional assistance from the best business criminal lawyers in many jurisdictions.

What we do:

• we effectively defend managers: building a defence strategy and acting from the very first information about the investigation to the final verdict, in Polish and international cases. In cooperation with experts, other law firms and foreign lawyers, we create and coordinate the work of defence teams, making sure that the criminal proceedings are as pleasant and predictable as possible for the client;
• we support victims: in the decision to notify law enforcement authorities as well as in the compensation of damage caused by the crime. We represent their interests during the investigation and before court, as well as in drawing conclusions for the future. We do everything necessary to ensure that similar incidents do not happen again and that criminal proceedings cause as little inconvenience as possible and are not disruptive on the business, particularly in our communication concerning criminal proceedings;
• we advise: assessing the risks of criminal liability, the impact of criminal cases on business organisation and activities, other proceedings (civil and economic), on pending transactions; we also act as experts before foreign courts, advise foreign corporations on the specifics of the Polish legal protection system.

Our recent successes:

• we successfully secured the acquittal of a legal advisor accused of aiding and abetting the illegal surveillance of employees of a multinational corporation;
• we recovered EUR 2.8 million for an international client who had been defrauded using a business email compromise scam;
• we defended five former managers of a listed company from pre-trial detention; we put together a defence team and coordinated the legal assistance; the charges related to causing multi-million euros in damage, withholding pricing information and issuing empty invoices;
• we initiated criminal proceedings in a case of defrauding a multinational corporation of nearly PLN 18 million; thanks to cooperation with the police and the prosecutor’s office, we managed to secure a significant part of the defrauded funds for our client; the case required coordination of the work of law firms from three EU Member States;
• we ended – on the criminal level – a conflict between trade union activists and the employer, leading to the discontinuation of initiated criminal proceedings, despite unfavourable decisions for the employer in labour courts; in doing so, we helped the managers avoid punishment or a conviction and stopped the matter from escalating into a long-term, unproductive dispute;
• we successfully brought about the final acquittal of a restructuring advisor in a case of an abuse of powers of an interim court supervisor;
• by leading a collaborative effort with Polish and international law firms, we secured the definitive termination of criminal and fiscal proceedings related to VAT settlements in Poland for an international financial institution. This outcome protected its managers from the risk of criminal liability and preserved their reputation and trust, which are crucial for providing financial services.

Building an organisation that is compliant with the legal environment is an ongoing process. Compliance management consists of a myriad of elements: from creating and applying internal procedures, providing an example from the top, to employee training and internal investigations.

Our team has unique experience and practice in supporting companies in building and managing compliance systems. We are the creator and organiser of one of the most renowned industry events, ‘Compliance Day’, the last edition of which attracted over 200 participants.

For our clients:

• we design procedures, codes of ethics and general compliance guidelines, tailored to the client’s specifics and organisational culture;
• we implement anti-corruption systems and policies, including those relating to marketing and courtesy spending;
• we develop and implement whistleblowing procedures (whistleblowers);
• we implement procedures to be followed in the event of searches or actions by state authorities (dawn raid policies);
• we prepare rules and guidelines on the use of social media;
• we implement anti-money laundering (AML) policies in the non-financial sector;
• we develop standards for the protection of minors;
• we conduct dedicated training for managers and employees (staff) in the area of compliance;
• we verify the compliance procedures and documents in force in the organisation.

Our recent achievements/experience:

• we have implemented comprehensive compliance programmes at dozens of clients;
• we implemented standards for the protection of minors in one of Warsaw’s largest hotels;
• we advised a client on doubts related to a public tender, helping them to avoid possible criminal proceedings;
• we assessed the legal compliance of over a dozen IT systems for storing electronic employee records as part of our “HR bez papieru” project (paperless HR).

The topic of whistleblowers did not arise with the entry into force of the Law on the Protection of Whistleblowers of 14 June 2024. Long before that, our law firm was supporting clients in building whistleblowing procedures and systems, in explaining reported wrongdoing, dealing with its consequences and supporting those who choose to report the matter. With the unique experience of a law firm team that has been involved in employment law for decades, we have particular support and expertise in finding the best solutions, tailored to the particular work environment.

For our clients:

• we verify existing whistleblowing procedures to ensure compliance with the Law on the Protection of Whistleblowers of 14 June 2024; including those in force in international organisations;
• we develop and implement comprehensive whistleblowing regulations;
• we develop organisational charts for the units responsible for receiving and handling whistleblowing (ethics/ compliance/ legal/ HR);
• we advise on the assessment and investigation of individual cases reported by whistleblowers;
• we conduct investigations;
• we provide training on whistleblower protection and all issues related to the whistleblowing system.

Our recent successes:

• we designed systems and implemented internal reporting procedures for dozens of clients in connection with the entry into force of the Whistleblower Protection Act;
• we created a procedure for receiving and handling internal whistleblowing reports, and coordinated the process of its implementation, for an international capital group from the FMCG industry, in dozens of client subsidiaries operating in and outside the EU, coordinating, among other things, the work of foreign law firms in the Ius Laboris network;
• we adapted global whistleblowing procedures to the requirements of Polish law at a dozen international clients with subsidiaries in Poland;
• we published a comprehensive commentary to the Law on the Protection of Whistleblowers of 14 June 2024, as well as many other publications devoted to this issue.

Internal investigations are used to establish information about irregularities in the workplace; the larger the organisation, the greater the challenge. A whistleblower report or the findings of an investigative audit are often only the beginning of the story. Before an organisation decides to notify any authorities or take action against employees, it needs to establish exactly what happened so that it can assess the consequences and risks for itself.

Thanks to our experience, we are able to efficiently carry out and support our clients in conducting complex economic investigations and internal investigations to clarify any kind of violation: of the law, internal procedures or ethical standards, etc.

We investigate all matters that employers / businesses may encounter, including: suspected corruption, offences against property, conflicts of interest, mobbing, violations of health and safety rules or company confidentiality.

We cooperate with experts in various fields: computer forensics, security, detectives and psychologists.

Thanks to the experience of our law firm, we have a unique understanding of the legal conditions in the workplace and what is needed for proper planning of activities.

For our clients:

• we conduct internal investigations – either alone or as members of teams with client representatives;
• we prepare investigation plans;
• we coordinate the activities of experts involved in the case – including detectives and specialists in other fields;
• we ensure the confidentiality of proceedings; our activities are covered by the professional secrecy of an advocate/legal advisor;
• we prepare reports from investigations, including recommendations for follow-up actions;
• we prepare and implement remedial plans, thereby helping our clients to draw the right conclusions from the explained cases;
• we provide training aimed at those conducting internal investigations.

Our recent experience:

• we conducted an investigation in a listed company regarding bullying and sexual harassment, minimising reputational risks and conflict between employees;
• we conducted an investigation into suspected corruption, culminating in the filing of a criminal complaint;
• we investigated mismanagement in connection with the hiring of specialists at below market rates; the findings of the investigation led to the tightening of the recruitment system and the introduction of a procedure for the verification of suppliers/business partners;
• we investigated an infringement of the powers of the Data Protection Officer and a dispute over competence between him and a member of the board of directors of a large financial sector entity, leading to the delimitation of the limits of competence.

In our experience, there are many cases that involve supporting a client through crisis situations and sensitive matters, sometimes touching on criminal law or violations of ethical or moral standards. Such cases require quick and precise action, decision-making based on experience and the ability to anticipate further developments. In such cases, we often cooperate with communication specialists, help with our knowledge of the mechanisms of the justice system and, for obvious reasons, avoid publicity. Bar secrecy helps with this.

What we do:

• we assess liability risks and the consequences for individuals and organisations;
• we help minimise or protect our clients from the negative consequences of events;
• we coordinate legal assistance and set up a support team;
• we help plan the organisation’s response;
• we help with internal communication.

We have a good deal of experience and successes, but we will not give details here.