On March 8 of this year, the Act of March 2, 2020 on special solutions related to the prevention, counteraction and combating of COVID-19 (coronavirus), other infectious diseases and emergencies caused by them came into force (Dz.U. from 2020, item 374). Under Article 3 of this Act, an employer, in order to counter COVID-19 (coronavirus), may instruct an employee to perform, for a specified period of time, the work specified in the employment contract, outside the place of its regular performance (remote work). The instruction may be given in any form, including verbally, but it is recommended to confirm it in writing. In the order, the employer should indicate the time of work performed remotely. It is the responsibility of the employer, to provide the employee with the necessary equipment for remote work. Refusal to comply with the employer’s order, may result in the imposition of a penalty on the employee.
In a situation where the employer does not have the ability to provide individual employees with the provision of work in the form of remote work, the employer should ensure safe and hygienic working conditions for employees at the workplace. Appropriate procedures should therefore be implemented at the workplace to prevent and counteract COVID-19 (coronavirus), in particular, attention should be paid to the recommendations issued in this regard by the World Health Organization and the Chief Sanitary Inspector.