Employment Stability in Times of the Covid Crisis: A Case of Legal Instruments Introduced by the Polish Legislator

Abstract

Protection of jobs has become one priority aim of the legislator during the crisis caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic. In the justification of the draft Act of 2 March 2020 on special solutions relating to the prevention, neutralisation, and combating of COVID-19 and other contagious diseases and the ensuing crisis situations (COVID Act), it was emphasized that the aid mechanisms introduced in the Act were supposed to prevent mass collective redundancies. And although the legislator tried to preserve sustainable employment during the COVID crisis, only a part of the introduced legal provisions offered a guarantee of work to employees. This article aims to provide an overview and assessment of the aid mechanisms implemented by the Polish legislator to protect jobs during the COVID crisis. The anti-crisis activities of the legislator, intended to preserve sustainable employment, can be divided into indirect and direct measures. An analysis was carried out taking into account the above division. Based on the analysis, reflections are formulated on the effectiveness of the implemented aid mechanisms. Finally, conclusions for the future are offered.