The legislative proposal to make Christmas Eve a day off from work sparked a lively social debate and was met with active reactions from the business community. In her opinion submitted to the Chancellery of the Sejm, Minister Agnieszka Majewska focused on the mode of proceeding the project and the date of implementation of the new regulation. Project initiators foresee that the regulation will take effect the day after its announcement. Therefore, it is possible that December 24, 2024, could be a day off from work.
According to Agnieszka Majewska, since the project was circulated for consultation on October 30, its possible adoption and entry into force within less than two months would raise doubt as to whether “standards of responsible and rational legislation” have been met in such a situation. According to Minister Majewska, an honest public debate involving all interested parties was also lacking.
Therefore, the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Ombudsman proposes the introduction of a sufficiently long “vacatio legis”, which would allow for adaptation to the new regulations without unjustified difficulties. “Entrepreneurs, like all other citizens, should not be surprised by sudden changes in regulations that have a significant impact on their legal, economic and organizational situation,” writes Agnieszka Majewska. She draws attention to the fact that in the impact assessment attached to the project, the project initiators themselves indicate the lack of data allowing for a credible estimate of these impacts. Certainly, implementing the solution discussed this year could bring tangible losses and organizational problems in such sectors as logistics or trade.
Minister Majewska declares her readiness to participate in the discussion not only about making Christmas Eve a day off from work, but – more broadly – about the number of free days in the calendar year and the consequences it has for the Polish economy. As she points out in the conclusion of her speech, “the decision to potentially make December 24th a day off should not be taken hastily, as it requires gathering appropriate data, subjecting it to thorough analysis, and conducting comprehensive consultations without undue haste with interested social groups, including entrepreneurs.”
Source: https://managerplus.pl/czy-wigilia-stanie-sie-dniem-wolnym-od-pracy-juz-w-2024-roku-eksperci-apeluja-o-rozwage-i-dluzsze-vacatio-legis-81215
