Poland: Novelisation Of A Number Of Legal Acts To Ensure The Proper Use Of The Gdrp Now Coming Into Force

Almost a year after the introduction of the GDPR, and after a long legislative process, the long-awaited novelisation of a number of legal acts to ensure the proper use of the GDRP was signed by the President of the Republic of Poland on April 3, 2019. According to the information published by the Rzeczpospolita newspaper and confirmed by Mr. Maciej Kawecki, the coordinator of the Polish national reform of personal data protection, the novelisation will come into force on May 4, 2019.

The novelisation will amend nearly 160 legal acts, including the Polish Labour Code. The main changes within the Labour Code include the scope of personal data of the job applicants and employees that may be requested by the employer, before and during the employment relationship.

Moreover, the novelisation will amend the provisions on employee monitoring within the scope of the premises made available to the trade unions, sanitary rooms, cloakrooms, canteens and smoking rooms. Some changes will also be introduced to the provisions on medical certificates on the employees’ ability to work.

The novelisation will also amend other significant legal acts, including: the Code of Administrative Procedure, the Advocates’ Profession Act or the Attorneys-at-law Profession Act.