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Posts by JonnyM  

Joined: 9 Mar 2011 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 15 Mar 2012
Threads: Total: 11 / In This Archive: 9
Posts: Total: 2607 / In This Archive: 2054 		From: Warszawa!
Speaks Polish?: tak

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JonnyM   
9 Dec 2011
Life / Moving to Poland - what is the most important thing I need to do, once I'm in Poland? [51]

Sure you can pay to go to the doctors but you cannot avail of free medical treatment without a Pesel, as you cannot be registered at state clinics etc without one.

I most certainly did avail myself of free medical treatment and never had a PESEL. I paid ZUS. And also had a mobile phone contract, fixed internet and cable TV etc, all without PESEL.
JonnyM   
9 Dec 2011
Life / Moving to Poland - what is the most important thing I need to do, once I'm in Poland? [51]

Then register yourself to your address and get a Pesel - Meldunek is registration to an address, Pesel is needed for many things in Poland such as going to the doctor, getting loans etc.

You don't need a PESEL. I've never had one in twelve years and have had no problems going to the doctors, registering a Spolka z o.o., buying property etc.
JonnyM   
9 Dec 2011
Life / You are Polish if... [433]

... when using public transport you put your bag on the empty seat next to you and huff n puff if someone wants to sit next to you

If they could reserve a seat, they would. The behaviour of Poles on public transport is baaaad.
JonnyM   
9 Dec 2011
Work / Poland salary and compensation package - What is included? [28]

(Have you any comparison numbers for wages and housing in Poland?

No figures to hand, but a mid level official in the tax office gets about 45k zlotych a year and a three bedroom flat in Warsaw costs at least ten times that. Food in the shops costs western prices and cars are more expensive than in Canada. In general wages in Poland v. prices are unfavourable compared to Westen Europe or North America. A ticketed electrician gets about the same as the aforementioned tax official, but with far less security of employment or paid holidays, but a chance of overtime.
JonnyM   
9 Dec 2011
USA, Canada / I now have a USA and Polish passport - How to behave at the border? [18]

I'm not very concerned about entering Poland, but i'm afraid of what's going to happen when I enter back into the U.S. Even as a US citizen travelling under my US passport, whenever I have to go through customs on the US border, I always feel like the customs agents are being mean and are giving me a hard time for no reason.

I've heard that's fairly normal.

You are one of thousands - many people are in this situation - especially people from countries with a different alphabet where their name can be transliterated into English in more than one way. Also, Polish passport control staff are used to people having a Polish passport but not sounding Polish - there has been a lot of emigration over the years. The passport control staff aren't interested much in your ticket, however it's better to buy it using your Polish passport number (and spelling) when going to and from Poland - to avoid complication. Nevertheless, it is nothing they haven't seen before - same with the US.

You could change the spelling on your Polish passport however the procedure is lengthy and a judge has to be convinced you have a good enough reason. Wedle's advice is good.
JonnyM   
8 Dec 2011
Work / Poland salary and compensation package - What is included? [28]

I'd like to know if Polish people are shocked when/if they come to North America to work. A few years ago when Canadian construction was booming there was a move afoot to bring in skilled European tradesmen due to a severe labour shortage.

A few years ago wages were quite low in Poland, so they'd probably have been very happy with the money. Plus the quality of life.
JonnyM   
8 Dec 2011
Life / Can I use Blackberry Messenger for free in Poland? [10]

Probably means South Africa. Saudi Arabia at a pinch. A stormtrooper would be pretty strange in Lodz, though frankly they haven't bothered to paint most of the buildings since then so maybe it would add some 'period feel'.
JonnyM   
8 Dec 2011
Work / Poland salary and compensation package - What is included? [28]

That is really quite incredible. Does a business need to hire extra staff to cover vacations or do the other employees just pitch in and take on more?

Here there's generally far more people than are possibly needed and a lot of time relaxing at work. It's a hard life. In Poland people have to cover their colleagues and in the summer employees must (by law) take an uninterrupted fortnight. This is sometimes ignored, though larger companies usually insist.

What's the length of the work week? Canada it's 40 hours

The same. But no lunch break as such, though a free meal is often provided. Not in Poland though - only tea and coffee are free there, however this is enshrined in law. Usually very good coffee.

Overtime @ 1.5 times regular pay for anything after an 8 hour day and if it's more than 4 hours over the regular day, OT is 2 times regular pay. How do they pay for overtime in Poland or Doha for that matter?

In Doha nobody does it, but in Poland it varies. Usually 1.5, though in good jobs people don't get it - many work late if they have to. In the civil service however they can finish quite early - a trade-off for the low wages.
JonnyM   
8 Dec 2011
Work / Poland salary and compensation package - What is included? [28]

What means a manager to you?

Generally, someone employed as a manager with that in their job title. Though the word is often overused in some English-speaking countries. They used to say 'executive' a few years ago...

20/2 = 10 days of leave? Just notpaid? or few paid?

25/2 = 12 days leave, paid.
JonnyM   
8 Dec 2011
Work / Poland salary and compensation package - What is included? [28]

generally in private sector as in many other countries ppl work overtime? Are these hours paid? I know that depends on the company, even here anymore the majority doesnt, but what is the tendency?

Managers, no.

I ve heard that in poland while being in 1st year of employment yr not entitled to any leave? How true is that? Maybe they mean a paid leave? Otherwise ppl work all year with no leave? If somebody has work record abroad, is he excluded from that?

No, you get paid leave and start accruing it rght from the start. 20 days if you're fresh from university, otherwise 25. The first year thing doesn't really apply nowadays. - it's to do with receiving the old social fund payments which would partially cover holiday expenses back in communist times but are so small they are purely symbolic nowadays.
JonnyM   
8 Dec 2011
UK, Ireland / Do you think ED Miliband looks Polish? [21]

What a complete pile of stinking horse droppings Joe.
He's my local MP, a sound bloke,very hard working. A man with his own mind.

Very true. A good constituency MP.

He is actually Jewish.

No bad thing at all.
JonnyM   
8 Dec 2011
Work / Poland salary and compensation package - What is included? [28]

Umowa o pracę, umowa o dzieło and umowa zlecenie

Umowa o pracy is a full contract of employment, umowa zlecenia is temporary. Both have tax and National Insurance deducted at the appropriate rate. Umowa o dzielo is a freelance contract for specific work done. It is taxed at the basic rate minus a small allowance for your (real or otherwise) expenses. There is no National Insurance taken from it; you are responsible for this yourself.

Can you tell me what these deductions refer to:

Taxation, Health insurance, insurance and pension credit?

Taxation is what you would expect it to be. Health insurance, insurance and pension credit are the three components of National Insurance. You have to pay it all, however you can opt for the pension part to go into a private fund of your choice. This is usually a good idea but whichever you choose, the amount you have to pay is the same.

In general what coverages does a compensation package include?

Your salary. This is Poland not Dubai.

In Poland for somebody working in private company as an employee, how many salaries per year is he entitled to 12 or 13?

12. Payable on the last day of each month.
JonnyM   
7 Dec 2011
Language / The most effective methods to learn the Polish language? [56]

I was just wondering what do you consider to be ‘the best’ or the most effective one?

Bloody hard work. Every day.

How have you learned a foreign language?

Yes

What methods have you used? Is there anything you can suggest to people just starting learning the language from the scratch?

Speaking because you have to. Learning and improving and analysing every day and never, ever, letting small mistakes hold you back.
JonnyM   
5 Dec 2011
Life / Question Of Religious Beliefs That Could Differ in Poland [33]

what the heck you mean by - Religious Beliefs That Could Differ in Poland????

He or she mentions it in the original post.

Don't worry Satan believe in you.

Evil is very real, whether you call it Satan or anything else...
JonnyM   
5 Dec 2011
Law / Setting up small business in Poland? [191]

Delph would have been the perfect person to answer this question but the mods suspended him

Yes. Tim to bring Delph and Harry back.

first apply for a Nip number and Pessel

First go to the town hall and register according to the category your work falls into. Then take the bit of paper to the tax office for a NIP - you might have to wait a while, but you can use your own NIP for a sole trader business - same with the bank account. Then go to GUS for a REGON. Then to ZUS to register for National Insurance.. You don't need a PESEL (I've never had one in 12 years). Throw nothing away. Take a Polish person with you if you don't speak the language well.
JonnyM   
5 Dec 2011
Life / Question Of Religious Beliefs That Could Differ in Poland [33]

Is this true???

Yes, down near Zakopane somewhere.

what is that exactly? sth suspicious, strange, unexplainable, odd,....?

Quite. Whatever it is, the lady was arrested but the prosecutors decided they couldn't make a case.
JonnyM   
4 Dec 2011
Life / Question Of Religious Beliefs That Could Differ in Poland [33]

Just don't share your beliefs with the nosy old lady who might be living next door and attends the Mass every morning.

Good advice.

I'm not sure about Krakow these days, but there's quite a strong occult scene in Warsaw. Thelema and Chaos are especially popular and there are various Wiccan traditions operating around the country.

If you're interested in Shamanism, have a look at this website: taraka.pl

Having said that, an old lady was arrested for witchcraft about five years ago after her neighbour accused her of stopping the hens laying eggs. She was released by the prosecutor on the grounds that it would be impossible to prove.