Free Christmas Eve for the first time in Poland. Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk comments on the changes
“Nothing is falling apart, people are getting ready for Christmas, buying gifts, everything is functioning normally” – said the minister in an interview with Polsat.
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Free Christmas Eve. Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk on the economic consequences
According to the ministry, the day off from work on Christmas Eve meets the expectations of most Poles, allowing for peaceful preparations for the holidays, easier travel to family homes and reducing stress. Dziemianowicz-Bąk indicated that In previous years, work on Christmas Eve was often symbolic, and employees “sat in the office, already thinking about Christmas Eve dinner and didn't really do anything.”
The minister noted that although the economic effects of this change will be more visible over time, it can already be assumed that increased pre-Christmas consumption may compensate for possible losses. “We expect that it can be balanced, and there are certainly social benefits on the profit side” – she assessed.
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Changes in law and new projects
The introduction of a free Christmas Eve is the result of a bill submitted by Left MPs in October 2024. The Act also changed the regulations regarding commercial Sundays – currently three Sundays before Christmas are commercial, but employees can only work on two of them.
Dziemianowicz-Bąk also mentioned other projects she has implemented, such as widow's pension, longer leaves for parents of premature babies (which change resulted from a series of texts on Business Insider Polska), including contracts of mandate and running a business in the length of service, and increasing the funeral allowance. The project regarding personal assistance for people with disabilities is still under implementation.
The minister emphasized that these changes have a real impact on the lives of citizens. As an example, she gave longer leaves for parents of premature babies, which allow them to spend more time with their child in the hospital, instead of using maternity leave to care for them in the most difficult moments. “This is the implementation of the idea in practice,” she noted.
Minister on unfulfilled initiatives. Among them, among others: Church Fund
Dziemianowicz-Bąk admitted, however, that not all of her initiatives were implemented. She indicated, among others: on the draft law on the liquidation of the Church Fund, which has remained an unresolved issue for years. “At the beginning of this term, a special team for the Church Fund was established. Unfortunately, it met only twice and did not achieve anything special” – she commented.
The minister is also waiting for the implementation of the project regarding the annual indexation of social assistance benefits and income thresholds in this system. “Sometimes I get rejected,” she admitted, emphasizing, however, that she did not intend to give up the fight for these changes.
Dziemianowicz-Bąk also recalled that she managed to simplify procedures for families experiencing a miscarriage or the so-called stillbirth. Thanks to its regulation, a certificate from a midwife or doctor is enough to benefit from benefits such as funeral allowance or shortened leave.
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“The social dimension of changes,” says Dziemianowicz-Bąk
The Minister of Family believes that her activities focus on improving the quality of life of citizens, especially those in difficult situations. “For years, all governments ignored the fact that families had to go through ordeal after such tragedies.” — she noted, adding that her goal is to change this approach.
Free Christmas Eve is another step towards building a more friendly and sustainable society. Although the economic consequences of this decision still raise questions, the minister is confident that the social benefits will outweigh them.
