The employer is obliged to provide employees working in particularly onerous conditions, free of charge, with appropriate meals and drinks, if necessary for preventive reasons.

Preventive meals must be provided to employees performing work:

• related to physical exercise resulting in the body’s effective energy expenditure exceeding 2,000 kcal (8,374 kJ) in men and 1,100 kcal (4,605 ​​kJ) in women during one work shift,
• related to physical exercise resulting in an effective energy expenditure of the body over 1,500 kcal (6,280 kJ) in men and 1,000 kcal (4,187 kJ) in women during one work shift, if performed outdoors in the period from November 1 to March 31, or in closed rooms where, due to the technologies used, the temperature is constantly below 10°C or the thermal load index (WBGT) is above 25°C,
• related to physical exercise resulting in an effective energy expenditure of the body over 1,500 kcal (6,280 kJ) in men and over 1,000 kcal (4,187 kJ) in women during a work shift, performed outdoors in winter; The winter period is considered to be the period from November 1 to March 31.
• underground.

If the workplace involves work in hot or cold microclimate conditions, in order to determine the values ​​of the WBGT and WCI indicators, it is necessary to measure them by an authorized laboratory for testing the working environment. Only then can it be determined whether employees are entitled to preventive meals. Measurements also need to be taken to determine energy expenditure. If energy expenditure does not exceed the values ​​determined above, preventive meals are not eligible.

Employees are entitled to preventive meals only on days when they perform work that justifies their provision and no cash equivalent can be paid to the employee in return.

Preventive meals should be served during regular breaks at work, generally after 3-4 hours of work. A preventive meal for an employee performing physical work should contain approximately 1,000 calories and contain approximately:

• 50-55% carbohydrates,
• 30-35% fats,
• 15% proteins.

The employer provides the employee with the opportunity to eat a meal during work in a way other than serving one hot dish, in particular by providing products enabling him to prepare a meal on his own or vouchers, vouchers, coupons and other evidence entitling him to receive such products or a meal on their basis, if Due to the type of work performed by the employee or for organizational reasons, it is not possible to provide the employee with a meal in this form.

Source:https://www.seka.pl/posilek-profilaktyczny/

Supported by Norway through Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the Programme “Social Dialogue – Decent Work”.