The best time of the year is fast approaching – the holidays! Some of you will surely decide to travel, many will escape to move their heads to the rhythm of music played at summer festivals, while others will retreat to their caves to spend time leveling up in Overwatch. Unfortunately, holidays are not always about pleasure, but also about responsibilities. Three months of idleness is a great time to replenish your wallet. Together with our partner – Kadromierz company, we have prepared a short guide for you on how to look for holiday work, how to work legally and not get ripped off, and most importantly – how to turn holiday work into fun, not a nightmare.
I want to get a job, where should I look for it and what should I pay attention to?
In the 21st century, finding holiday work should not be a problem. Such advertisements are not usually posted on large recruitment portals, which is why the best tools will be Facebook groups, especially those dedicated to specific locations. Do you want to organize great parties in Mielno? Make ice cream in Krakow? Go ahead!
Problems arise when you encounter a dishonest contractor. There are a few things you should do before starting work to avoid them. First, it's worth checking the credibility and reputation of your future boss. If you have the opportunity – ask your friends, find out a little about him, check his online reviews. But stay vigilant. It happens that an employer writes flattering reviews for himself online, or that unfair competition slanders a given company. Once you find an employer, it's time to think about the form of contract that will regulate your cooperation.
I am underage, what about me?
Are you under 18 and want to work? That's commendable, but quite difficult in the eyes of the law. Under 16, finding an employer is only half the battle. In addition to the approval of your guardian, you also need the consent of the Labor Inspector, which can be particularly time-consuming. On top of that, there are also appropriate working conditions. Your duties can only include so-called light work. The employer, in turn, is obliged to prepare a list of such tasks, additionally approved by the labor inspector and an occupational health physician.
If you are over 16, the situation looks much better. Older individuals can work in a wider range, provided that the tasks performed do not pose a threat to life and health – both physical and mental. It's worth mentioning that both groups cannot work between 10 PM and 6 AM, and the maximum number of hours spent at work in a holiday week is 35. If a young person works for more than 4.5 hours, they are entitled to a 30-minute continuous break. Above the age of 18, the aforementioned problems disappear – you become an adult, and your rights and obligations are regulated by labor law or, as is characteristic of temporary work, by civil law.
Civil law contracts, i.e. so-called "junk contracts".
You will probably encounter these forms of employment often in your life – we are talking about the mandate contract (umowa zlecenie) and the contract for specific work (umowa o dzieło). Their popularity has a simple reason – they are very easy to construct legally and bring many benefits to the potential employer. They can be terminated from minute to minute, and the number of hours can be adjusted flexibly. The employer also does not have to pay contributions when:
➡ another employer pays these contributions
➡ you are a junior high school, high school student, or a student up to 26 years of age
➡ you have a contract for specific work
Who are temporary workers?
A popular solution for job seekers is so-called agency work. At this point, you become a temporary worker – even if a given company wants you in their organization, they will not be your employer. You are hired by a temporary employment agency, and consequently, the remuneration for the work goes to their account, and they settle with you as employees. This is quite unprofitable because, in addition to remuneration (which, according to regulations, must be at least 13 PLN net), a commission for the agency must be added. The only saving is time, as usually tedious recruitment is not required.
Are there any other options?
You can expect the employer to hire you on a fixed-term employment contract – unfortunately, although this is the best solution for the employee, it is not very popular due to the costs it entails. You can also use a contract for the performance of specific work. Although both terms sound very similar, they differ significantly. With a fixed-term contract, you always have a two-week notice period, regardless of how long it was concluded. An employee cannot be dismissed from one day to the next because, for example, there are too few guests in a resort. In addition, the employer must pay all contributions, and the remuneration is also regulated.
What about a contract for the performance of specific work? The employee must perform a task that must be precisely defined in the contract. Example? "Harvest all strawberries from the plantation." This is quite justified for all measurable tasks – in agriculture during harvest, distributing leaflets, etc. It is not suitable for gastronomy, because you cannot determine how many plates you will wash per day or how many customers you will serve. The biggest drawback is that this contract cannot be terminated before the work is completed. The exception is the liquidation or bankruptcy of the entire employing entity.
Use new technologies
Although most of our suggestions may sound archaic (who would want to sign any contracts today?), support for those looking for temporary work can also be found in new technologies. For example, by encouraging your employer to use the Kadromierz service – a virtual service that facilitates the creation of work schedules and electronic time registration. Disputes over the number of hours worked are a common problem in the gastronomy industry – unreliable employers try to save wherever they can, usually at the expense of employees, and you cannot afford to lose hard-earned money.
A few words at the end
There are many forms of employment for so-called seasonal workers. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. You have to decide for yourself what will be best for you. The key is to ask questions – even the silliest ones, read contracts from A to Z, and check who you intend to cooperate with.
All that remains is to wish employees honest supervisors and decent salaries, and employers – reliable subordinates. Additionally, we remind you of our cooperation with Kadromierz. By using the discount code dedicated to Vikings – "Mobile Vikings" – you will receive free, 30-day access to the application, and then a 50% discount on your first invoice for using the system. The discount code only needs to be provided when submitting a service inquiry.
