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13 Nov. 2022

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Employment in Poland: is it possible to communicate in Ukrainian at work

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Employment in Poland: is it possible to communicate in Ukrainian at work

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According to the data of the Polish border service, there are 5.5 million Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Many forced migrants have already found work. According to data from the migration platform EWL, 430,000 Ukrainians, whose average age is 38, are already employed.


Where do Ukrainians work in Poland?


90% of refugees found work below their qualifications. Teachers, IT workers, office staff and managers could not maintain their job level.


Most Ukrainians in Poland work in the following industries:


• Hotel and restaurant business – 29%

• The sphere of services – 18%

• Production – 14%

• Trade – 11%

• Agriculture – 7%

• Logistics – 7%


Job search in Poland


Earlier we wrote about where Ukrainians can look for work in Poland. For the convenience of refugees, a special website was developed - https://pracawpolsce.gov.pl/, where vacancies for various specialties are posted.


The local employment center will also help you find a job in the country.


In addition, you can use the data of the Central Database of Job Offers on your own, without visiting the employment office, using a computer, phone or other mobile devices with Internet access. Searching for job offers is also possible using the special ePraca mobile application (Android and iOS).


You can also count on getting information on how to search for work on your own through public free job websites:


• jobs.pl;

• gowork.pl;

• adevinta.com;

• pracuj.pl;

• theprotocol.it;

• OLX;

• Jooble;

• Jobs4Ukraine;

• UAtalents;

• Europa.jobs;

• Eures Praca.

In addition, the list of certified Polish employment agencies is available on the website: www.stor.praca.gov.pl under the tab Register of entities running employment agencies.


Additional information can also be obtained by phone from the Voivodeship Bureau of Labor. If you work through an agency, you must remember to sign a contract with the employment agency, which will specify working conditions, remuneration, benefits, etc.


In particular, the State Labor Inspectorate provides free legal advice on the provisions governing the legality of employment and the rights of employees. Information is also available in Ukrainian and Russian. More information can be found at https://www.gov.pl/web/pip/nieodplatne-porady-prawne and at the phone numbers:


• 2 111 35 88 - the recommended telephone number for foreigners working in the following voivodships: Mazowieckie, Lodz, Wielkopolska, Świętokrzyskie, Lublin and Lubuskie;


• 89 333 17 41 - the recommended telephone number for foreigners working in the Voivodeships: Warmian-Masurian, Pidlaskie, Kuyavian-Pomeranian, Pomeranian and Western Pomeranian Voivodeships;


• 22 111 35 29 - the recommended telephone number for foreigners working in the following voivodships: Podkarpatska, Malopolska, Silesia, Opolskie and Lower Silesia.


We will remind you that the Diia.Business center has also been opened in Warsaw, where Ukrainians can get advice on employment, legal stay and doing business in Poland.



Who can legally work in Poland?


You can work in Poland if:

• you are a citizen of Ukraine and due to the threat of war, you legally entered the territory of Poland from February 24, 2022 and are legally staying there,

• you are a citizen of Ukraine who lives on the territory of Poland legally - on the basis of a visa, a residence permit, a single permit.


You can find out more about employment opportunities in Poland at the link.


Ukrainian language at work in Poland


The migration platform EWL reports that more than 70% of Ukrainians in Poland can find a job where it is not necessary to speak Polish. It is possible to establish communication between Ukrainian employees and the employer thanks to colleagues who know both languages.


EWL Director of International Development Mikhalina Selevych confirmed that most Ukrainians did not work in the host country before the full-scale war and did not speak its language. Communicating in Polish creates additional discomfort for them, and the opportunity to hear and use Ukrainian helps them adapt faster.


At the same time, Ukrainians understand that in the future the language opens up opportunities for career growth and a greater choice of vacancies, so they teach it.


Knowledge of English and job search abroad


According to statistics, only 33% of refugees in Poland speak English at a level sufficient for communication.


In Germany, for example, the situation is the opposite: half of the immigrants from Ukraine can speak English fluently. Such an indicator is influenced by a large share of young people who have found shelter there.


On the other hand, only 16% of Ukrainian citizens can communicate in Ukrainian at work in Germany. This caused the emergence of a new trend - the so-called "Polish employment system", which provides for involvement in work where knowledge of German is not required.


Language courses for Ukrainian refugees


Free language courses are organized in Poland. In particular, 54% of immigrants in Poland noted that they are already learning Polish, and 28% are ready to learn it.


Pay attention! In Poland, the procedure for taking the Polish language test for foreign citizens may soon be changed. In particular, the changes provide for the expansion of the range of foreigners who can receive a certificate and the list of institutions where it will be possible to take the exam.


In Germany, the share of those who learn German is higher and amounts to 57%. At the same time, 39% said that they do not want to learn the local language.

Free services for learning a foreign language can be found at the link.


Interestingly, almost half of the refugees in Poland and Germany want to stay in Europe for at least a year after the end of the war.

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