The new regulations are effective from February 1 and introduce December 24 as a day off for all employees, including those employed in trade. Previously, Christmas Eve was a working day until 2 p.m. The changes also include a limitation on the number of commercial Sundays in December – a trade employee cannot work more than two of them. As the website farmer.pl reminds, President Andrzej Duda referred the act to the Constitutional Tribunal for post-control. His reservations concern the introduction of an additional, third trading Sunday in December.
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Where does the ban not apply?
However, the Act on Restriction of Trade on Sundays and Holidays provides for numerous exceptions to the ban. Pursuant to Art. 6 of the Act, trading on Christmas Eve may be conducted, among others, at gas stations, in pharmacies and pharmacy outlets, in bakeries, confectioneries and ice cream parlors, as well as in establishments whose main activity concerns the sale of flowers, newspapers, public transport tickets, tobacco products, coupons for games of chance or devotional items. Exceptions also include shops run personally by the owner, trade at cemeteries and agricultural retail trade.
Two Biedronkas at gas stations
According to farmer.pl, only two Biedronka outlets out of over 3.8 thousand will be open on Christmas Eve. stores across the country. These are agency stores located at gas stations in Różyniec and in Słubice in the Przemysłowe estate. Both facilities are scheduled to operate on December 24 from 5 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. These stores will be closed on December 25, but will reopen on December 26.
In turn, as reminded by the District Chamber of Pharmacy in Warsaw, the ban on trading on Sundays and holidays does not apply to pharmacies. It is the owner who decides whether a given pharmacy will be open on Christmas Eve, and employees must adapt to the established work schedule.
