Spotlight on Poland – A guide to implementing employee benefits technology 

We’re in Poland this week as we continue our Global benefits Spotlight tour. Poland is a popular location for benefits rollouts at the moment, and we expect this to continue through 2023.  

A hub for highly skilled, multilingual workers, it’s no wonder Poland has become a key country for companies internationally. But an increased demand for local talent means companies must think strategically about the benefits they offer, and the technology used to deliver them.  

So how can benefits help you attract and retain talent in Poland? 

To secure and retain top talent, particularly in the technology and professional service sectors, a benefits offering must be competitive, flexible, and intuitive. In response to the evolving marketplace, our customers are opting for more benefits and increased allowances.   

Here’s what you need to know about benefits in Poland… 

Employers in Poland typically provide pension, private medical insurance and life assurance as core benefits. While some provisions are mandatory – like the provision of a pension plan – employees have the flexibility to opt out or increase their contributions. The right benefits technology makes it easier for employees to select what’s relevant to them and understand the costs involved.  

Pension 

• It’s mandatory to provide a qualifying supplementary pension plan  
• Most employers opt for a PPK plan (Pracownicze Plany Kapitałowe) 
• Employees can flex their pension contributions or opt out if they choose 

 
Private medical insurance  

• Offered by most large companies operating in Poland 
• Some employers opt to fund cover for the employee and their family, while others require employee contributions 
• A mixed funding plan means employees can choose the level of cover that suits them or extend their policy to include family 
• Can be fully automated via OneHub – including adding/removing dependents – which improves the employee experience and simplifies administration for local HR teams

   

MultiSport card 

• A popular alternative to wellbeing allowance 
• Offers access to more than 4,000 sports facilities across Poland 
• Can be used for a range of activities including swimming, gym classes, spas, climbing, and more 
• A mixed funding plan means employees can contribute towards additional family members

   

Employee social fund 

• Similar to flex fund, the employee can decide how to spend it 
• The fund can be put towards sports, recreation, childcare and cultural or educational activities 
• This mandatory benefit is hosted via a local platform (accessed via single sign-on if the provider allows)

   

A look to the future… 

Employee benefits in Poland have traditionally relied on paper forms, but the country’s bright young talent pool are driving change as they look for a great user experience from their workplace technology and a competitive benefits package.  

Companies in Poland are already expanding beyond the standard pension and private medical insurance; instead, focussing on more lifestyle-oriented benefits like hoilday purchase and leisure allowances. In fact, over half our customers in Poland offer holiday purchase, a sharp increase from three years ago. And we expect take up to continue to grow. To complement the MultiSport card, some employers offer a further allowance that can be used towards activities not covered by the card; whether that’s for days out with the family, cultural interests, or sports equipment like bicycles. 

Voluntary benefits are also increasing in popularity. These don’t involve employer funding and are a low cost way to introduce more flexibility and choice to employees, often covered by a benefits fund that employees can use towards their choice of voluntary benefits or core benefit upgrades. 

Going global with benefits 

For global companies with employees located in different regions, rolling out a great benefits package isn’t always straightforward. It requires an understanding of the local benefits landscape, and technology that can deliver an exceptional experience – at the same times as reducing administration for local teams.  

To help you on this journey, we’ve created a guide to the 12 most popular locations where our customers are rolling our employee benefits programmes. Download your copy here.