Motivation system for employees from Ukraine

The Ukrainian language heard on the streets of Polish cities is no longer a surprise. It is estimated that about 1.5 million Ukrainians work legally in Poland. There are no data on people working illegally, but it can be assumed that there are another half a million. Employees from Ukraine have increasingly higher qualifications and are eager to undertake work in Poland, which is why employers are serious about this topic and are increasingly deciding to employ foreigners.

Motivation to work in Poland

Motivation of employees from Ukraine to emigrate is not only financial – the political situation in the east is also of great importance. However, it was the big difference in the amount of earnings that quickly launched a real wave of workers and their families coming from Ukraine. This caused considerable confusion, also in legal terms – initially people from abroad could work with us only during the validity of their short visa. After the change of law in 2018, the regulations allow the employment of foreigners on seasonal work terms, i.e. “for no more than 9 months – in agriculture, horticulture and tourism.” This greatly facilitates the arrival of employees of Ukrainian looking for profit, especially those who do not plan to settle permanently in Poland, but only earn a specific amount and return to their homeland.

There is no shortage of work – more and more entrepreneurs declare that they are willing to accept eastern citizens for work. The manufacturing industry is leading the way – every fourth enterprise in this sector already employs them! In the next places in the ranking, the service and commercial sector – respectively 20% and 14% of them have employees from Ukraine in their ranks, and these numbers are increasing from year to year.

Legal employment, remuneration and non-wage motivation

A legally employed employee from abroad is the one who obtained the right of residence – it is issued by the Voivodship Office in Poland. The permit to settle (for a period exceeding 3 months) must be documented with the employer’s statement on the guarantee of entrusting work to the foreigner. After completing these formalities, an employee from Ukraine resides and works in Poland legally, and thus enjoys the same privileges and obligations as the citizens of our country.

Despite the initial differences, today in most cases the remuneration of employees from abroad is comparable to the salaries of Poles in the same positions. Foreigners employed by us can also count on additional benefits and support of the employer – assistance in accommodation or transport to the workplace. They are also included in the company’s employee motivation system, thanks to which they can also count on non-wage benefits. Legal work on preferential terms, including salary supplements, is an additional argument for newcomers from Ukraine to remain in Poland permanently.

Is a man looking for a job or conversely?

Despite the huge influx of workers from the east, they can still pick up job offers … This is particularly felt in the manufacturing industry, which must offer more than just employment with a minimum wage to attract new people. Newcomers from Ukraine, like Poles, are more and more demanding, which is why employers are increasingly investing in the development of incentive and non-payroll systems, looking for such proposals that will be attractive to all employees. One of the proven solutions in such a situation is the MyBenefit Cafeteria, which allows employees to choose their benefits independently and freely according to their needs or preferences. The employer may adjust the non-wage benefits program to the budget and to the specificity of employment and, e.g. grant benefits also to temporary employees.

All employee motivation system

Many entrepreneurs claim that employees from Ukraine have contributed to the development of our industry in recent years. You can meet with statements confirming that – due to limited access to Polish specialists – completing a construction or other project would be much harder or even impossible without coming from the east! The more it is worth taking care of employees from abroad and trying to make them work for us as long as possible and as best as possible. The company’s incentive system can be extended to all employees, regardless of their origin.