Agricultural Social Insurance Fund Research Articles

INSTRUMENTS MITIGATING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN AGRICULTURE

Aim: The aim of the study is to identify and characterize agricultural policy instruments employed to mitigate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. It also aims to propose new and modified state policy instruments to counter the pandemic’s negative consequences in agriculture. Methods: We employed a qualitative approach using expert reviews to refine agricultural policy instruments aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifteen independent experts critically evaluated our internally formulated instrument proposals, providing in-depth feedback and assessments. These expert assessments were conducted in June-July 2023. Results: The primary entities that provide public financial support for agriculture in Poland are the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARiMR), the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS), and the National Support Centre for Agriculture (KOWR). The study developed and refined a range of instruments to counteract the detrimental effects of pandemics on agriculture. These tools, refined through expert insights, address key challenges such as market access, labor availability, logistical issues, and health risks in farming activities. The Integrated Agricultural Platform (IAP), Anti-Crisis Agricultural Fund (ACAF), and other state-supported initiatives constitute a comprehen­sive strategy designed not only to alleviate immediate impacts, but also to strengthen long-term resilience. Conclusions: This proactive and multifaceted approach is essential to ensure the stability and sustainability of the agricultural sector in the face of potential future health crises, including pandemics.

The effectiveness of motivation methods. A case study of the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund branch office in Pleszew

Motivation is one of the basic elements of enterprise management, enabling the empowerment of employees in the workplace so that they can perform their professional duties more efficiently and thereby contribute to increased company turnover and customer satisfaction. Motivation is a process of consciously and knowingly influencing the behaviour of people who are members of an organisation by means of various stimuli, whether related to wages or other aspects of the working environment. Inherently tied to the functioning of each organisation, company or state institution, motivation is part of managing human resources and individuals, and therefore it is reasonable to make it an object of our study. The purpose of this paper is to identify the meaning of motivation and obtain information about factors that motivate employees of the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund branch office in Pleszew to perform their jobs. The article uses multiple publications in the literature, which serve to enhance its research value. Empirical studies were also conducted using a research tool in the form of a survey questionnaire. Keywords: Agricultural Social Insurance Fund, motivation, motivating, employee

DIRECTIONS OF CHANGES IN THE EXPENDITURE OF POLAND’S AGRICULTURAL BUDGET DURING THE PERIOD OF GOVERNMENTS OF SUBSEQUENT COALITIONS IN 2010-2023

The purpose of the article was to indicate the directions of changes that occurred in the expenditures of the Polish agricultural budget in 2010-2023 in quantitative terms. The period adopted for analysis is interesting in that it covers successive coalition governments in Poland. The subject of the study was budget expenditures on agriculture in Poland, broken down into expenditures from the national budget (excluding the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund – ASIF, and with it) and the Budget of European Measures (BEE), taking into account Poland’s total budget expenditures, as well as GDP. The source of empirical materials was data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. An analysis of the structure and dynamics of nominal volumes, as well as those adjusted for inflation (CPI, constant prices of 2023), was applied. The research shows that during the period under analysis, there was a relatively persistent trend of real decrease in the level of total agricultural budget expenditures. The reduction in these expenditures concerned both the volume of domestic and EU funds. The relationship of the agricultural budget to the total budget and GDP also deteriorated significantly. This proves the declining importance of agriculture in the hierarchy of state budget expenditures in the long term and that the agricultural sector in Poland does not benefit proportionally from the effects of GDP growth. These unfavorable trends for agriculture have been somewhat halted in the last two years. If it were not for the financial support from the WBE (which, unfortunately, is also declining), sectoral disparities in the distribution of funds from national income would have grown even more pronounced. The rank of real expenditures on ASIF in the state budget expenditures is also successively decreasing.

Choroby zawodowe rolników ubezpieczonych w KRUS Occupational diseases of farmers insured with the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS)

The study deals with farmers’ occupational diseases that are covered by the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS). It presents the quantitative and territorial structure of the types of occupational diseases of farmers insured with KRUS between 2012 and 2021. The effects of occupational diseases for farmers, based on health impairment suffered, were also examined. The incidence of occupational diseases by age of insured farmers was reviewed. The role of the prevention activities undertaken by KRUS to reduce the incidence of occupational diseases among farmers was also presented. The study draws on KRUS data and information material as well as literature. Descriptive analysis, tabular analysis and inference methods were used to achieve the objectives and verify the hypotheses.

Zjawisko wypalenia zawodowego wśród pracowników Kasy Rolniczego Ubezpieczenia Społecznego zajmujących się windykacją nienależnie pobranych świadczeń Occupational burnout phenomenon among the employees of the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund involved in collection of unduly drawn benefits

This paper presents a set of externalities and internalities which determine the behaviour and quality of tasks performed by public officers in the context of early occupational burnout syndrome following the experience of the author and of the employees of the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS). Investigated is the impact of said factors on the level of adverse stress among employees dealing with selected issues associated with the recovery of monies under unduly drawn pension and disability benefits, sickness and care allowances, as well as other benefits for farmers and their family members, and consequently, impacting early occupational burnout in this occupational group of office staff. This paper draws from the literature, the outcome of an interview with KRUS employees, as well as from their long-standing experience and selected methods of coping with stress at work. The paper aims to set forth solutions to prevent early occupational burnout among public officers.

„Mama Cztery Plus”. Istota rodzicielskich świadczeń uzupełniających “Mama Cztery Plus”. The essence of supplementary parental allowances

Recent times in Poland have seen the hard work of parenting in large families appreciated and honoured. The introduction of a supplementary parental allowance in 2019 emphasized the social role of those parents who, for reasons relating to the upbringing of their children, have not achieved the employment seniority requirement for pension rights. The main purpose of this article is to systematize the body of knowledge pertaining to supplementary parental allowances for the benefit of both the interested parties themselves and the employees of Polish Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS). This paper conveys the most important information on the supplementary-allowance system, so as to dispel any doubts KRUS personnel might have with regard to eligibility. An interview with employees of the benefits department of the KRUS Field Office in Ostrów Wielkopolski has revealed that doubts continue to surface concerning various matters relating to “Mama Cztery Plus” allowances. This paper also demonstrates the realistic dimension of supplementary parental allowances considered and paid, by collating the number of “Mama Cztery Plus” payouts delivered by two pension bodies, viz. Polish Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS) and Polish Social Insurance Fund (ZUS). Methodologically, this article relies on the analysis of the literature and of statutory provisions, with an interview questionnaire as a research tool, as well as data sourced directly from KRUS Headquarters, KRUS Regional Branch in Poznań, KRUS Field Office in Ostrów Wielkopolski and ZUS Branch Office in Ostrów Wielkopolski1 .

Standardy prostego języka i jego wpływ na jakość obsługi klienta KRUS Standards of plain language and its impact on the quality of customer service of the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS)

The quality of service in government offices has long been a subject of research and discussion. Public administration units are introducing many changes in their operation to ensure better and faster service delivery. The good image of an office is created primarily by the competence of its employees. It is worth noting that the provision of services by government officials is not an easy task. A very important aspect of working in any office is the communication process. The use of plain language principles facilitates communication between officials and customers. This is the way recommended by experts and advocates of the idea of simplifying public communication. The purpose of this article is to show how the use of plain language in the office affects the quality of customer service. To achieve the assumed objective, a survey among KRUS customers was conducted using a face-to-face survey method. The article introduces the customer in public administration and definitions of terms such as administration, customer, service and quality. The process of communication using plain language principles was also presented. Before the article was written, a review of the available literature on public administration and plain language standards had been conducted. References were made to the works of Marek Bugdol, Tomasz Piekot, the article “Customer at the heart of administration”, and the Integrated Management System of the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund, among others.

Generations on the Labour Market – an Analysis of Employed Persons in Terms of Age and Sex

The pace of change in contemporary reality creates a need for fresh data to diagnose the impact of this change on the labour market. Opportunities to meet these expectations are provided by data resources collected in registers and administrative systems directly or indirectly related to employment. Experimental work carried out on the adaptation of data from these sources for statistical purposes shows that, for instance, data on employed persons calculated on the basis of the resources of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) and the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS) allow analyses to be carried out taking into account, i.a., the generations. Currently, there are four generations on the labour market in Poland: the Baby Boomers, X, Y and Z, which differ in terms of their value system, motivation to work, expectations and loyalty to employers.

Musculoskeletal diseases as the basis for issuing disability certificates for children.

There are nearly 240 million children living with disabilities worldwide - 1 in 10 of all children. The Polish disability certification system is characterized by a significant level of complexity. At the same time the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS) and poviat/city disability adjudication teams, voivodeship disability adjudication teams/councils, the Ministry of Family and Social Policy supervising poviat and voivodeship teams/councils issue different certificates. The system is complemented by the appeals to the court which resolve complaints against the decisions of voivodship teams. Children are considered individuals under 16 years of age. They can get a disability certificate if necessary. The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of children obtaining a disability certificate due to diseases of the locomotor system in Lublin within the last 16 years. The authors asked the Municipal Disability Adjudication Council in Lublin to provide data on the number of disability certificates issued for children up to 16 years of age in the years 2006-2021.The data used for the analysis come from the electronic system that collects and processes them according to the assumed patterns. In the years 2006-2021 the Municipal Disability Adjudication Council in Lublin issued 9,929 disability certificates for children up to 16 years of age. The total number of certificates issued because of musculoskeletal disorders was 1,085 (mean 68/year). Majority of the recipients were 8-16 years old. There were 524 girls (mean 32.75/year) and 561 boys (mean 35.06/year). In children musculoskeletal problems are in the third position after diseases of the respiratory tract and developmental disorders as the reason for obtaining a disability certificate in Lublin. Comparing this data with others, it can be concluded that the situation is similar to data from developed countries.

Lyme Disease as Farmers’ Occupational Disease. The Evaluation of an Increase in Morbidity Rate Tendency Between 2000 and 2019

Abstract Subject and purpose of work The aim of this paper is to make an analysis and evaluation of Lyme disease incidence, understood as a diagnosed farmers’ occupational disease. Materials and methods The analysis and an evaluation were made based on materials, data and information originating, among other things, from the following: The analysis and an evaluation were made based on materials, data and information originating, among other things, from the following: The Agricultural Social Insurance Fund, the Main Sanitary Inspectorate and the National Institute of Hygiene, official legal acts published in the Journal of Laws, industry literature, as well as works and publications of researchers dealing with Lyme disease. Results The results of this study indicate that Lyme disease is not only the main and dominant occupational disease of farmers, but also an infectious disease having a growing trend among Polish society. Every year, an increase in cases in which Lyme disease spirochete infection was found and diagnosed, is observed. This situation is affected not only by insufficient preventive measures, difficult and ineffective diagnostics, or low awareness of Lyme disease, but also by environmental factors and climate change. Conclusions Considering that the disease leads to numerous dangerous health-related consequences, while a protective vaccine has not yet been prepared, it seems extremely important to implement preventive measures and conduct education on prevention among farmers as well as other professional groups and the entire population.

Administrative data as a source of information about employed persons

The pace of changes taking place in the contemporary world creates demand for current data at the lowest possible level of territorial aggregation, enabling the assessment of the impact of these changes on local labour markets. Data resources gathered in registers and administrative systems directly or indirectly related to employment seem to provide an opportunity to satisfy these new expectations. However, to be able to use administrative resources for statistical purposes, it is necessary to make allowances for the fact that the administrators of registers and administrative systems collect data to satisfy their own needs and that official statistics reuses them. The aim of the article is to show the analytical opportunities which administrative data sources provide and to demonstrate that they can complement or even replace traditional methods of collecting data on employed persons. The experimental adaptation of data from these sources for statistical purposes proves that, for example, data on employed persons, calculated on the basis of the resources of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) and the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS), correspond almost fully in terms of definitions with data collected by official statistics. The readiness to come to terms with slight methodological differences related to the count of employed persons in agriculture or persons employed for the purpose of vocational training or agents will make it possible to provide users with this important labour market statistics faster, more frequently, and in aggregations different than those recently offered by official statistics, while limiting or even eliminating many reporting obligations imposed on the national economy entities. This article describes official statistics’ current methods of researching employed persons and compares them with the experimental method of calculating the number of these persons on the basis of administrative data sources. Due to the fact that data calculated by means of the experimental method are characterised by a multitude of new information, we decided to present here only selected examples of their analyses and contribution to expanding the knowledge about employed persons in the Polish economy. We would also like to emphasise that data used for this purpose refer to all employed persons (in all entities, including the smallest ones with the maximum of nine employed persons). Other advantages of the administrative data sources are the monthly availability of data and the possibility of aggregating them down to gmina (the lowest local administrative unit) level.

SUPPLEMENTARY PARENTAL BENEFIT – THE MUM 4 + PROGRAMME – EXPECTATIONS AND REALITY

In this article the regulations of the act on parental supplementary benefit of January 30, 2019 are thoroughly analysed. Supplementary parental benefit is granted to a person who gave birth to and raised or only raised at least four children and did not acquire the right to a pension or a pension paid to this person by the pension authority is smaller than the lowest pension. One is entitled to the benefit mentioned herein only in the case of not having means of subsistence because of not pursuing or discontinuing employment as a result of raising minimum four children. Supplementary parental benefit is in no way related to making social security contributions, it is a benefit financed by the state budget, which in a supplementary or substitutional way is linked to old age. In the legal sense, it is not a pension, but a special non-contributory monetary benefit of discretionary nature, which is granted only on request of the person of interest based on the administrative decision of the president of the Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) or the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS).

Importance of legal regulations resulting from technical harmonization in the European Union for improvement of work safety of farmers in Poland.

Accidents exert a negative effect on the quality and standard of living of rural inhabitants, especially when they make it impossible to continue work on a farm, or this work may be performed only to a limited extent. The creation of effective legal mechanisms which would guarantee the safety of operation of machinery is a crucial issue, it is of a preventive character and considerably limits the number of accidents. Approximately 16.1 million people live in the rural areas and around 2.3 million work in the agricultural sector, which represents 14.5% of all labour in Poland in 2019. The aim of the study was to evaluate the legal regulations resulting from the directives of technical harmonization in the European Union for improvement of safety of work with the use of agricultural machinery in Poland. The method was critical analysis of legal acts in effect, court rulings, and statistical data concerning accidentsoin farms, made available by the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS). As a result of Poland's membership of the European Union, rural areas were covered by globalization processes and single market rules, within which there function legal mechanisms of safety and quality of products. Analysis of the 16 years of Poland's membership of the EU, resulted in positive results being observed in the use of the directives of technical harmonization, especially in reducing the number of accidents involving agricultural machinery. However, this improvement may result from using newly-purchased, modern and safer agricultural machinery covered by the conformity assessment, and preventive actions carried out by the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund. An impact of other factors, not analysed in the study, cannot be ruled out.

Concept for legal and economic changes to the pension insurance of farmers

Motivation: The study presents the current conditions for receiving the agricultural pension from the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS) and the rules for calculating it. They are organised in such a way that the longer the insurance period of the insured person, the lower the so-called supplementary part of their pension than in the case of the insured person with the shorter insurance period. In addition, since 2011, persons insured in KRUS and having farms with an area of more than 50 ha of utilised agricultural area have been obliged to pay higher amounts for their pension insurance which do not have any impact on the level of benefits received. Farmers who also run business activities are treated by the insurance legislation in a similar manner. Hence, there is a need to make changes to the legal and economic regulations in KRUS, which would reflect the new conditions of management in Poland after 1989 and the solutions existing in the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS).
 Aim: The objective of the study is to identify the regulations related to agricultural pension insurance which are inadequate in relation to the existing conditions of management in our country and to the solutions existing in ZUS. In addition, the objective of the paper is to propose changes to the insurance regulations of KRUS concerning the rules for calculating pensions and the definition of special branches of agricultural production. Also, the effects of these changes from the viewpoint of the insured person have been presented.
 Results: The result of the study is a proposal for changes to the rules for calculating pensions for farmers insured in KRUS. The paper proposes to split the pension from KRUS into three parts: the contribution part, supplementary part and capital part. The proposals presented differentiate the pension amount depending on the insurance period and additionally paid contributions. The paper proposes to extend the special branches of agricultural production and to adopt income they generate at the level of 50% of the average salary in the national economy or at the level of the minimum wage as a criterion for access to insurance in KRUS.

CHANGES IN THE STRUCTURE OF BUDGET EXPENDITURE ON THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN POLAND IN THE PASSING FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2014-2020

The aim of this article was to demonstrate the changes that took place in the structure of financing the budget of the Polish agricultural sector in the passing EU financial perspective 2014-2020. The subject of the research was expenditure on agriculture, including both the state budget and EU funds. The structure of expenses in particular areas of the agricultural budget was also considered, regarding agriculture, agricultural markets and rural development, seen as investment in the development and modernization of the agricultural sector, as well as social expenses within The Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (ASIF). The study used methods of structure and dynamics analysis and was based on source material from draft budget bills for relevant years. It was proved that the importance of the agricultural sector, considered through the perspective of the funds allocated to it from the state budget, is systematically decreasing. These expenditures are significantly boosted by EU funds, which, despite the continuing downward trend, still play an important role in the development and support of the agricultural sector in Poland. The tendency is also that the share of expenditure on items from the “agriculture” part of the budget is higher than on the “agricultural markets” part of the budget, and that the agricultural budget is being renationalised (after the state budget being multiplied by European funds for several years, the share of state funds in the expenditure has increased).

The Social Security of Farmers in Poland and in Selected EU Member States

The subject of the present article is the social security of farmers. The main aim of this research paper is characterizing the functioning of the social security system for Polish farmers in comparison to such systems in selected member states of the European Union. The research investigated social security systems in Finland, France, Austria, Germany and Poland.
 The research involved a review of the literature on social security systems for farmers, provisions of law regulating the principles of such systems and the information furnished by the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS), as well as statistical data provided by KRUS and Eurostat.
 The following research methods have been applied: descriptive analysis of the documents in order to verify the diversity of agricultural security systems, a critical review of the literature and online data concerning social security, and a comparative analysis.
 Each of the investigated countries has its own, distinct social and historical conditions, which has led to the development of independent institutions of social security for farmers. One factor which all these systems have in common is significant support from the national budget. In the future, financial inefficiency may pose the most significant risk to security systems in agriculture. Except for their social role, the social security systems presented below also participate in the management of agricultural policy, the aim of which is the development of rural areas and the welfare of the natural environment.

Senior economy in Poland

Since the early 1990s, noticeable demographic changes in Poland and throughout Europe have been observed. One of the most important of these is the continuous process of ageing of populations. The transformation of the age structure of a population entails significant changes in the scope and structure of demand for goods and services on the market. Economic entities should thus take the special needs of the elderly into consideration and adjust their production accordingly. This kind of economy, increasingly oriented towards the elderly, is called the senior economy (also known as the silver economy), or, in a narrower sense, the market of goods and services for seniors. The aim of this paper is to present the size and structure of the senior economy in Poland, understood as the market of goods and services for seniors. Figures describing this market come from the survey of the senior economy in Poland from the supply side, which was carried out by Statistics Poland in the years 2017–2018 as an experiment. The presented data refer to the year 2016 unless otherwise stated. This paper also utilises data from the National Health Fund (NFZ), Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS) and Credit Information Bureau (BIK), added there to enhance the characteristics of the Polish market of goods and services for seniors. As the results of the research demonstrate, entities of the national economy in Poland do not yet perceive the elderly as a significant group of customers. It is the non-commercial entities rather than the commercial ones that more often focus their activity on catering to seniors’ needs. The majority of them operate in the health and care sections, which are the areas most often associated with the senior economy.

IMPACT OF PENSION SYSTEM REFORMS ON PUBLIC FINANCE EXPENDITURES IN POLAND

System zabezpieczenia społecznego w każdym kraju, jeśli istnieje, odgrywa kluczową rolę we wspieraniu obywateli, jednocześnie stanowi duże obciążenie finansowe dla wydatków budżetowych państwa. W Polsce składa się on z systemu ubezpieczeń społecznych i opieki społecznej, systemu ubezpieczeń zdrowotnych, zasiłków dla bezrobotnych i świadczeń rodzinnych, z których wyliczono emeryturę, rentę inwalidzką, ubezpieczenie chorobowe i macierzyńskie, ubezpieczenie od wypadków przy pracy i choroby zawodowe i ubezpieczenie zdrowotne. Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie zmian, jakie zaszły w polskim systemie emerytalnym w latach 1999–2017 oraz wpływu tych zmian na wysokość wydatków publicznych. W badaniu dokonano weryfikacji hipotezy badawczej: często występujące zmiany w systemie emerytalnym mają negatywny wpływ na stan polskich finansów publicznych. Badaniem objęto lata 1999–2017. Podstawowymi materiałami badawczymi wykorzystanymi do przeprowadzenia analizy badań były sprawozdania z realizacji budżetu państwa, dane przygotowane przez Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych oraz dane statystyczne uzyskane z Głównego Urzędu Statystycznego.

Old-Age Pension Insurance in ZUS and KRUS in the Context of the Insured and Public Finances

Summary Subject and purpose of work: The subject of this paper was to assess the old-age pension insurance in ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) and KRUS (Agricultural Social Insurance Fund) from the perspective of a person insured and the public finances. The purpose of the study was to calculate the difference in saving efficiency of the insured in ZUS and KRUS. Materials and methods: The study uses literature in the field of social security, legal acts, mass statistics data, and statistical data of KRUS and ZUS. Descriptive and financial analysis methods were used. The results of the study were presented using the tabular method. Results: As a result of the analysis, it was found that currently the income adequacy of old-age pension insurance in Poland is about 50%. It is much lower than what is considered optimal, which is estimated at 70%. The share of subsidies for old-age pension insurance in budget expenditure in Poland is growing and in 2018 this ratio was 16.16%. Conclusions: The efficiency of saving in old-age pension insurance in KRUS is over 6 times higher than the efficiency of old-age pension saving in ZUS.

EXPENDITURE ON ASIF IN THE YEARS 1991-2018 AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE REDISTRIBUTIVE FUNCTION OF POLAND’S AGRICULTURAL BUDGET

The aim of the paper was to indicate the size of expenditure on the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (ASIF) on the background of changes that occurred in the agricultural budget, state budget and GDP in almost the entire period of adjustment of the Polish economy to market conditions. This period covers the years 1991-2018 and concerns budgetary expenditure supplementing the deficit, in particular the Pension Fund of ASIF as an example of the implementation of the redistributive function of the state budget. The study covered the share of expenditure on the agricultural sector in the total expenditure of the state budget and in the developed Gross Domestic Product, as a reference to the economic situation in the economy. The analyses showed that the share of budgetary expenditure on rural areas, agriculture and agricultural markets, in the analysed period, increased significantly after Poland’s integration with the EU, which primarily constituted a pro-development impulse. Expenditure on ASIF benefits, in a way, reflect the satisfaction of social needs related to rural areas and agriculture. The share of social expenditure (on ASIF) in total state budget expenditure decreased at the same time. However, it is noticeable that the nominal volume of these expenditures slightly increased in relation to the stabilised level (ca. PLN 17.5 billion) from past years. The authors believe that this amount should not be lower, because the social insurance system of farmers has been effectively “sealed” and additionally there is an increase in pension ben