Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


Certainly for someone not in Poland or in the city in question, it shows determination - rather than someone simply hoping to get lucky. Sensible tactic by schools - leave the ball in the applicant's court and see if they've got the drive to succeed.

For non-EEA/CH citizens, they definitely have to show initative.

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


I think it's actually a form of homesickness in many foreigners - they focus on absolutely everything that's wrong with Poland in order to make them feel better about where they come from. But yes, you're right - it's just negative thinking.


Yes, definitely. As far as I can tell, Poland is rapidly sorting out many problems - look at the ease of starting a business these days for EU citizens for example. Non-EU citizens have much more problems - but it's the same situation in virtualy every EU country.

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


The ones that complain, moan and whine about everything to do with Poland really surprise me - if it's so bad, why are they here? Is it because they couldn't hack it in their own country? Of course, the same individuals proudly boast about how they simply do their job and go home, rather than actually trying to change things for the better.


In quite a few cases, they are. There's plenty of examples of utter incompetence by foreign management - just compare and contrast Tesco and Carrefour in Poland compared to their home countries. Likewise, there's quite a few examples of foreign companies in Poland having their Polish branch being run by a Pole and being a success story.

Likewise with teaching. I'd question the wisdom of hiring the vast majority of American teachers - unlike British English speakers, Americans tend to be quite poorly aware of how else English is used - simply because they're not used to or exposed to it. There are exceptions of course, but that kind of teacher is unlikely to bother with Poland when there's far more money to be made elsewhere.

I'd also strongly question the wisdom of hiring a non-EU citizen to teach English - there is what, around 70 million people speaking English natively in the EU - there really is absolutely no need to hire Americans, Australians or any others - especially when you consider the bureaucracy involved. Unless of course, they already hold an EU passport.

As for foreign management skills - ask yourself how many banks went bust in Poland. Then compare this to the current situation of British, Swedish and American banks.


Yes - which is why the native attitude of "I turn up, I teach, I cover myself and I go home" is terrible in the long run. It's certain that Polish employers certainly won't respect anyone who does that.

Travel / TRAIN JOURNEY..DRAWSKO TO POZNAN...help needed... [30]

You're a brave, brave man!

Travel / TRAIN JOURNEY..DRAWSKO TO POZNAN...help needed... [30]

One thing - the trip there, it's no problem as the whole journey is on TLK trains. On the way back, make sure that if you use different types of trains, then you buy seperate tickets for each part of the journey. For instance, if the trip to Stargard is on a TLK train and then the next part is on an Osobowy or Interregio train - then you'll need seperate tickets.

It's a minefield, I know!

Travel / TRAIN JOURNEY..DRAWSKO TO POZNAN...help needed... [30]

Use the link I gave you, the English site works properly on there :)

Travel / TRAIN JOURNEY..DRAWSKO TO POZNAN...help needed... [30]

rozklad-pkp.pl/query.php/en?

There you go, they've got an English version too :)

(looks like a rubbish connection :( )

Real Estate / Poland flat tax issues - real estate - 10% tax [6]

The best bet would be to ask the tax office to give you a decision about whether or not you'll have to pay it. I wouldn't risk anything else!

Life / Important: A Good Medical Center with English speaking doctors in Krakow [50]


Then go with an NFZ doctor.

Life / Important: A Good Medical Center with English speaking doctors in Krakow [50]


Against the terms of his residence permit then.


What bureaucracy? You pay ZUS, you get NFZ cover. Doesn't matter where you're from, they don't care and don't want to know.

I'm sure you're aware that the Polish system will charge him a considerable amount if he's involved in an emergency situation - and that they'll make sure that his details are on SISone4all if he doesn't pay?

Work / Can I use my English hgv licence to get jobs in Poland? [10]


The new digital ones are next to impossible to fiddle, because there's quite a compehensive audit log with them. The law now is that you can be busted in any EU state for tacho offences, even if they were committed outside of the country where you're stopped. For example, if you disabled the limiter and went at 100km/h constantly on Polish roads in the truck - you get stopped by the Germans and bang, that's you in trouble.

Part of it involves having to set the machine every time you cross a border, so if (for instance) you were doing 90km/h constantly on the road between Swiecko and Nowy Tomysl, yet the limit for trucks is 80km/h - you can get busted by the police anywhere. The UK does quite a bit of this, but stupidly doesn't issue on the spot fines!

Work / Can I use my English hgv licence to get jobs in Poland? [10]


It's transferable, as is the tacho card.

USA, Canada / REFUSED A HOLIDAY VISA TO THE U.S CAUSE IM POLISH [323]


I'd love to do such a job, but alas...


Definitely. Part of the problem has to be the culture of refusing to accept responsibility - when Poles realise that they have to take responsibility for their own actions, then things will improve. I notice that in Poland, the IT sector seems to have it figured out, but others don't. And in fact, many of the worst examples can be found in foreign owned companies.


They could take a strong step in this direction by simply abolishing free Masters degrees and completely scrapping the 2nd/3rd/4th free degree. I know someone doing a dual masters in Sociology and English - what good is this?

USA, Canada / REFUSED A HOLIDAY VISA TO THE U.S CAUSE IM POLISH [323]


I know two that are genuinely convincing - in fact, the only thing they fall down on is when you use specialist vocabulary. But then again, natives are the same.


Probably that, and a lack of trust in Poland and her workers. To a certain extent, it's understandable - Poles have done a really lousy job of getting themselves noticed abroad, not helped by the way that many well educated people took rubbish jobs.


You're not the only one with that sentiment. I've heard the same thing repeated from others - the only real advantage that natives have is that they can teach virtually any topic without much preparation, whereas a Polish teacher is likely to have to put in some serious effort to pick up a new topic.

USA, Canada / REFUSED A HOLIDAY VISA TO THE U.S CAUSE IM POLISH [323]


Americans (and to a lesser extent, the French and British) are fantastic at getting their way into expat jobs that pay a small fortune - I've never quite understood it, but it's true. The amount of money thrown down to the drain to subsidise the British Council and their overpaid jobs are a particular source of amusement for me...

USA, Canada / REFUSED A HOLIDAY VISA TO THE U.S CAUSE IM POLISH [323]


Good question. I don't think there are any accurate statistics, as the last census was a long time ago. There's also the question of the many that have overstayed in Schengen as a whole - of which no figures will reliably exist.


Teaching English is hardly a big deal - in fact, I'd question the worth of allowing non-EU English teachers to reside in the first place. The demand can probably be met from the existing EU - there's really no need to grant work permits to non-EU citizens to teach. Unfortunately, Poland has a very lax work permit system based more on ticking boxes than anything else. Certainly, there's enough non-EU citizens with EU passports to meet the demand.

As for the American way to run businesses - well, the jury is out. American banks and big business hasn't done too well lately, has it?


It's not much of a bargaining chip, but if it was implemented alongside a general policy of non-cooperation with America until the VMP is introduced for Poles, you'd likely find America agreeing sooner rather than late. Unfortunately, the time to implement this was in 2003, not in 2010.


Do you know anything about Poland in 1990? The "shock therapy" is controversial, even today.


Is there really anything that Poles can't do? About the only thing that really comes to mind is defence issues. Then again - there's the point that foreign businesses will always prefer to have a safe, known pair of hands rather than rely on the natives.


Well - it is perfectly possible for Poland to introduce ultra-tough visa requirements for non-EU citizens. There's nothing in EU law stopping Poland from doing so - it could actually send a strong political message to Washington that Poland won't be messed about any longer.

Having said this - I wonder how much longer the VMP will last for.

USA, Canada / REFUSED A HOLIDAY VISA TO THE U.S CAUSE IM POLISH [323]

I don't think Poland is particularly bothered about losing many of the workers who would be doing menial jobs in Poland - there are still plenty of others that won't go anywhere, and it helps to push the unemployment rate down.

The trend in Poland is now for young, educated workers to stay and make their fortune in Poland - it's not 2004 anymore. There's also the point that many employers aren't looking at "I washed dishes for 2 years in the UK" as being particularly relevant.

USA, Canada / REFUSED A HOLIDAY VISA TO THE U.S CAUSE IM POLISH [323]

Your analysis falls down when you consider that Australians are one of the groups that are renowned for massively overstaying tourist visas. Americans too actually.

The mistake you make is assuming that people only earn on one job. A teacher might only earn 2000zl a month - but what about the vast amount of unreported private lessons? Trust me, official figures do not tell the whole story in Poland.

Buying a nice house near your job won't happen in Poland, or in most of Europe due to one simple factor - the cities aren't designed that way. Let's not forget that for most Europeans in cities, living in a nice house isn't really achievable. Even fairly wealthy Parisiens live mostly in flats.

As for being a bit behind the rest of Europe - right now, I'd argue Poland is ahead of Portugal and Greece in terms of economic stability.


And thus Poland should tell America where to go, including making it exceptionally difficult for them to gain residency here until the VMP is implemented for Poland.

Ultimately, America has got everything out of Poland that she wanted. Unfortunately, Poland was seduced by Americans in 1989 and still hasn't really figured out that America isn't going to do anything to help out of goodwill. I wonder how quick Bush would have pushed through the VMP for Poland if Poland had made it clear that the missile defence shield relied upon it?

UK, Ireland / Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles. [289]


And suddenly, as many of the middle class suburban people lost their highly paid jobs in the service sector, rose a boom in demand for jobs that they previously wouldn't do. All those stay at home mothers for instance suddenly had to try and find employment - whereas they wouldn't previously have entertained the idea of working in Tesco or likewise. This is why I say the issue will go away - once the service industry picks up, people will be forgetting about wanting to work in Tesco, leaving the jobs for the working classes.

Of course, if people really want jobs, an extra 10p on income tax should see plenty of job creation...

UK, Ireland / Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles. [289]


This can be traced to three things - Margaret Thatcher, Buy-to-let and the unwillingness of the British public to see flats as being an acceptable choice to live in once you pass a certain age.


Food shortages? Where? There's certainly no shortage of food in the UK...


Wasn't an issue until what, 18 months ago? It'll cease to be an issue again within a couple of years.


Both of those problems could be solved with more local management and less governmental interference.


Poland has done okay? You do realise that the Polish pension system is using today's money to pay for today's pensioners and that it's very unlikely to survive in its current form by 2040? As for other countries, you'll find that a great deal of West Germany's success was built upon foreign workers. Likewise in Spain and Italy - the backbone of their economy was very often badly paid foreign workers.

The more I read, the more I think it's time for an EU referendum - with the binding clause that if the UK leaves, then they must spend 25 years outside of it.

Work / Any good website for an English native looking for a job in Poland? [9]


They're absolutely idiotic to do so. The law is very clear on the issue - you have 90 days out of every 180 in Schengen. They may have been readmitted if they were still legal (on Day 89 for instance) - but it doesn't add an extra 90 days to the clock. There are countless people thrown out of Schengen every year for this - and bearing in mind that the standard punishment is a year long ban from Schengen, plus the permanent record on SISone4all regarding you having been an overstayer - it really is absolutely idiotic and mindless thing to do so. Perhaps the thing that confuses them is the stamp in the passport - of course, in the past, this meant another 90 days. But now, it's just a record of your entry into Schengen - it doesn't apply any time limits by itself.

I'm not surprised Americans have been doing it - they have (in general) an absolutely terrible grasp of Schengen law. The vast majority of them aren't aware (for instance) that border controls can take place absolutely anywhere in the country, and that very often, the police will consult SISone4all routinely.

The crucial thing here is that irrespective of what happens at the border, it is strictly 90 days in every 180. It doesn't matter who picks this up - if you overstay and you're found out, then you can expect trouble. It doesn't matter who finds out - it could be a French PAF guard who discovers the overstay 2 years in the future - either way, a year ban and a fine is normal.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


I'd actually argue that many schools are looking for reliability more than qualifications. There's also schools out there who want to mould teachers to their way of doing things - rather than hiring people with a CELTA with a set idea on what teaching is. Fair enough, you need qualifications to get into the big, well known schools - but there are so many more schools out there.

The one trend that I definitely see is that schools are less willing to hire those that aren't settled in Poland.

Work / Any good website for an English native looking for a job in Poland? [9]

There's quite a bit of wrong information on the site - for instance, the information about border runs, which haven't been applicable since entry to Schengen. This is actually quite dangerous to mention, as Poland hasn't been shy about denying entry to those attempting to do visa runs. Schengen countries in general are very strict these days.

There's also quite a bit of misleading infomation in relation to having your own company - particulaly in how you can start a company to get a work permit. This only really applies to Americans - it's not an option open to other non-EU nationals.

Sorry, it's a nice website and all that - but there's many, many mistakes on there. For instance, an EU citizen in Poland should really sort their NIP out before anything else, as many employers will refuse to pay them until they obtain the number. You can obtain this without needing anything else - Poland, pragmatically, wants your tax money.

I'd also advise you to steer clear of talking about tax issues - especially in advising people that they don't have to pay tax in Poland for 2 years. This isn't clear cut and as simple as that. You should really also mention the mandatory yearly tax return that many foreigners aren't aware of.

Also, the bit about contract law. I really, really, really wouldn't go giving such advice. We all know that the clauses are never really enforced, but to describe them as being "totally unenforcable" (see next post).

To describe them as "totally unenforcable" is dangerous language in Poland. The legal system in Poland could quite easily rule them as enforceable - there's no certainty in the Polish courts, and they're far more likely to rule against a foreigner who signed such a contract - I very much doubt that ESL teachers can afford to throw down the 250-300zl an hour that a decent contract lawyer will want, and let's not forget that the Polish court system is notorious for dubious judgements.

Personally, I'd go about removing any personal opinion like that - it reads like Dave's ESL Poland forum, which isn't a good thing.

USA, Canada / Sending money to Poland from the USA? [48]

Have a look here - public.neteller.com/content/en_PL/cards_index.htm

There's hundreds of providers these days - netteller is the one I'm familiar with, but there's endless others.

USA, Canada / Sending money to Poland from the USA? [48]

My recommendation is to send a pre-paid card that you can top up yourself - they can withdraw cash at the post office, and it's probably the cheapest way to do it :)

UK, Ireland / Recently beaten up in England by 3 Polish guys [93]


Yep, no different to other countries. They won't understand sitting down and talking about it, but they'll understand if a group of very pissed off Englishmen turn up at the farm and beat the living daylights out of them, along with a warning to leave or get another beating.

There was a case in Aberdeen where a Polish bouncer/knucklehead threw someone down the stairs of a club. Funnily enough, within a day, he had left the city - it was made very clear to him that his head was going to meet concrete bricks if he hung around. He didn't understand subtle language, but he understood a distinct threat.

UK, Ireland / Leaving the UK. Am I entitled to any UK benefits from NI contributions if I move back to Poland? [9]


True, but by all accounts, they're not really bothered by Polish workers working without the WRS permission - they're far more bothered about real illegal employment.


I think it's more a case of simply taking everything that they're entitled to - savvy really, wouldn't you do the same if Britain was the poor country and Poland the rich one?


Ask anyone who has a business and what they can write off. Poland is way, way less strict than the UK in this respect - Ben of the British in Poland blog wrote something about the very subject. My accountant advised that as long as you can justify it, then it's possible - unlike the UK where there exists rules for practically everything.


It's tough to compare, because Poland relies more on increased personal tax allowances rather than benefits. The UK tax credit system is the worst thing ever designed - I bet you must know some people who've been royally ****** over with it?

But under the same circumstances (working for 12 months, legally resident with the EU residence permit, etc) - there's some benefits available, though nothing on the scale of the UK.

If you ask me, they should bring in the Polish system into the UK where you need to work for 12 months before getting anything from the unemployment office. It's not a bad idea, and means you don't get students sitting around on the dole because they refuse to take menial jobs.

UK, Ireland / Leaving the UK. Am I entitled to any UK benefits from NI contributions if I move back to Poland? [9]


Of course. It's proportional, so if they work 5 years in the UK (and pay 5 years worth of NI), they'll be entitled to 5/30ths of the current full basic pension. Or in real terms, if they were retiring now, they'd get about 15 quid a week.


Most of the "Well known facts" are just bollocks - for instance, Poles can't claim UK benefits unless they've been in the UK for a year, working legally under the Worker Registration Scheme. Most of them haven't been legally registered - do you really think Pawel and his mates on the farm are working legally?

Other examples are the fault of the UK government - why on earth isn't Child Benefit linked to school attendence, for instance?

Anyway, there's nothing stopping us milking the Polish system. It's very well known that Brits take advantage of the ability to write off many things that are of dubious business merit - things that wouldn't be allowed in the UK in a million years.


So she'll claim a UK pension instead then? It's up to you - you've got the right to transfer those contributions anywhere you want, as long as there's an agreement.

News / Poland - Third World Country?? [300]

Frankfurt-Slubice being a great example of this - how many Germans actually speak Polish there?

News / Poland - Third World Country?? [300]


And Lodz is clearly the worst city in Poland ;)

(having said this, Lodz is clearly the Liverpool of the late 80's/early 90's of Poland)