In brief

• An employer must provide a new employee with individual information on working and pay conditions, regardless of whether an employment contract has already been concluded.
• The rules for monitoring employees' email must be known to staff before the employer takes such actions.
• The information obligation applies to every employer hiring under an employment contract, including in small businesses.

Employer's information obligation

When starting a new working relationship, the employer must provide the person being hired with a full set of information about how the workplace operates and the work organization in force. The basic document is individual information on working and pay conditions, which must be handed over regardless of whether the employment contract has already been concluded. This concerns Article 29 § 3 of the Labour Code (Pracodawca nie sprawdzi twojej poczty po cichu. Obowiązek informacyjne wobec pracowników – GazetaPrawna.pl).

Rules for monitoring email

The point is that the employee should know what data is collected, why, and how it will be used.

Who do the rules apply to?

The information obligation rests on every employer hiring under an employment contract, both in large companies and in small businesses.

What should be done about it?

Employers should check the regulations and procedures concerning company email and adjust them to the applicable rules. It is also often useful to train employees on their rights and obligations.