Category: I’m a resident

Dear

As part of the Legal Newsletter campaign, we would like to provide you with reliable information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your legal situation, with particular emphasis on the principles of conducting business, the rights and obligations of the employer and the employee, as well as the rules for the implementation of commercial contracts in exceptional circumstances.

In view of the above, we encourage you to send your questions concerning the above-mentioned area of law, which will be analyzed by specialists from our office and will serve as an inspiration for the Newsletter published on the website: www.oliviacentre.com/cat/odpowiedzi-tarcza-antykryzysowa.

Please send your questions to: napiszdo@oliviacentre.com according to the following scheme:

• a concise description of the case;
• the question you would like answered.

The legal newsletter is free of charge and available to every user of the www.oliviacentre.com/cat/odpowiedzi-tarcza-antykryzysowa

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We would like to kindly inform you that:

• The legal newsletter and its updates are published at a frequency determined by the Authors, and we will make every effort to publish new content at weekly intervals;
• any posted on the website www.oliviacentre.com/cat/odpowiedzi-tarcza-antykryzysowa The content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a legal opinion or advice, and the content may not cover all aspects relevant to the subject matter and, due to the dynamic situation, may become outdated at the time of publication due to changes in the law, and we will endeavour to keep the published content up to date;
• The Personal Data Administrator and the authors of the Legal Newsletter shall not be liable for any damage arising in connection with the undertaking or non-undertaking by third parties of any actions on the basis of the content posted on the www.oliviacentre.com/cat/odpowiedzi-tarcza-antykryzysowa website
• the content of the Legal Newsletter is only a reflection of the views of its Authors at the time of their publication and does not constitute an official position of the Personal Data Administrator or Olivia Business Centre in any matter;
• The Authors reserve the right to change the content of the Legal Newsletter as well as the views and positions expressed therein, in particular in the event of changes in the law;
• The authors will use the questions they have chosen to edit the Legal Newsletter and do not guarantee that they will answer the legal problem you have sent;
• users are not entitled to use the content of the Legal Newsletter for any purpose other than just to read its content;
• the content published as part of the Legal Newsletter will be anonymized (devoid of personal data).

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Information on the processing of your personal data:

The administrator of your personal data is Contractor+ Sp. z o.o. with its registered office in (80-251) Gdańsk at ul. Batorego 16/1A, entered into the Register of Entrepreneurs of the National Court Register by the District Court Gdańsk-Północ in Gdańsk, VII Commercial Division of the National Court Register under KRS number 0000556846, NIP 9571078431, REGON 361463980, having fully paid up share capital in the amount of PLN 5,000.00 (hereinafter referred to as the “Administrator”);

We have appointed a Data Protection Officer, who you can contact in all matters related to the processing of personal data using the following addresses: Contractor+ Spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością, Data Protection Officer, ul. Batorego 16/1A, 80-251 Gdańsk, e-mail address: iod@oliviacentre.com.

The Controller may process the following of your personal data: name, surname, e-mail address, other data contained in your e-mail correspondence addressed to the Controller.

The Controller will process your personal data in order to receive, read and/or answer your question or legal issue – pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) and (f) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016. on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulation”), for a period of up to three years from the date of sending your e-mail correspondence to the Controller.

Your personal data may be made available by the Administrator to entities processing data on behalf of the Administrator (for example: entities used by the Administrator or entrusted with the performance of activities within the scope of its business, providers of IT systems supporting the Administrator’s activities).

In connection with the processing of your personal data by the Administrator, you have the following rights: the right to access your personal data, the right to rectify your personal data, the right to delete your personal data (the right to be forgotten), the right to limit the processing of your personal data, the right to transfer your personal data to another administrator, the right to object to the processing of your personal data, the right to lodge a complaint with the President of the Office for Personal Data Protection, if you believe that the processing of your data violates the provisions of the Regulation;

The processing of your personal data does not involve solely automated decision-making or profiling within the meaning of Article 22 of the Regulation;

Providing personal data is voluntary.

 

Olivia Business Centre has launched another aid package during the COVID-19 pandemic. The medical part of the project is the most extensive initiative in the Tri-City, thanks to which the St. Wojciech Copernicus in the Zaspa district of Gdańsk has been equipped with a fully ready diagnostic module. It makes it possible to carry out coronavirus tests for staff in front of the Hospital building. It is the first project of this kind in Poland. In addition, the following items have been donated to Gdańsk hospitals: a respirator, fumigator, medical clothing, protective masks, and for a month now, the Olivia Star Top kitchen has been delivering food to doctors and medical staff of hospitals every day. In total, more than 1800 meals have already been delivered.

Everything we do is aimed at supporting medical personnel who, despite the enormous risk, are making the utmost effort to provide assistance at a time of unprecedented situation for our society. – says Grzegorz Kidybiński, Director of Investor Supervision at Olivia Business Centre. – We are grateful to them and try to support their efforts by providing the necessary infrastructure, equipment, clothing and food. If necessary, we stand ready to further expand our commitment to doctors and all hospital staff.

Olivia Business Centre financed a diagnostic module, which was erected at the hospital in Gdańsk’s Zaspa. The fully equipped facility will provide the necessary environment for testing people suspected of being infected with COVID-19. Importantly, it took just 10 days to complete the module from concept to turnkey production to on-site installation. The facility was built in modular construction technology, which allowed for a reduction in production time, as well as greater control over maintaining the highest standards during implementation, which was the most important thing for the Investor in such an exceptional situation. VIVIA NEXT was responsible for the process, engaging experienced subcontractors from the construction industry. Their full commitment allowed for such a short time of project implementation, as well as the highest quality of individual parts of the project. m.in were involved in the production. the following companies: Pekabex, Skills Group, EkoInbud, Ready Bathroom, Creon, Zumax, Seeger Dach, Scandinavian Express, Corleonis, Drutex, CWCC, Świat Reklamy. Importantly, some of the companies performed their work free of charge. Olivia Business Centre has also donated medical tests to detect the presence of COVID-19 antibodies and has ordered more that are already on the way. Currently, at its expense, VIVIA NEXT is also preparing further modular facilities to further support the medical community during the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, Olivia Business Centre also delivered a ventilator that meets all the standards of hospital medical care and a fumigator used to disinfect medical rooms. Doctors from the Naval Hospital at ul. Polanki in Oliwa, which in the current situation has been granted the status of an infectious disease hospital, has been 60 sets of medical clothing and 1000 pcs. protective masks that meet the standards of work safety in an infectious diseases hospital. Since the beginning of March, Olivia Star Top, located on the top floors of the Olivia Star building,has been supplying both infectious diseases hospitals with food prepared in accordance with all safety requirements that allow for responsible food deliveries for medical staff.

In recent days, we have been receiving a lot of support from companies and individuals, including Olivia Business Centre,” says Dariusz Kostrzewa, President of the Management Board of COPERNICUS. – As part of the project, #RazemMożemyWięcej Olivia Business Centre erected in front of St. Peter’s Hospital. Wojciecha COPERNICUS PL Sp. z o.o. in Gdansk, a module for diagnostic tests enabling the performance of tests for the presence of coronavirus. In addition, we received a respirator, thermometers and a fumigator to disinfect rooms in the hospital worth about 120 thousand. £. The meals provided by Olivia Star Top for medical staff are additionally encouraging and an expression of support and solidarity with those who risk their health for the good of patients. Once again, on behalf of the entire team, I would like to express my sincere thanks – adds Dariusz Kostrzewa.

The project #RazemMożemyWięcej Olivia Business Centre is a series of activities carried out in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. It includes helping local entrepreneurs, coordinating the collection of computers for children deprived of access to education in connection with homeschooling, and supporting volunteering for seniors and people in quarantine. The action is symbolized by a large red heart, which appears every evening on the façade of the tallest building in northern Poland – Olivia Star. The illumination is a gesture of support for all services involved in medical aid and coordination of the fight against the threat of infection with the virus causing the COVID-19 disease, as well as an appeal for the unity of the inhabitants of Gdańsk.

1. The requirement not to be in arrears with taxes and insurance premiums when applying for a subsidy for part of the costs of running a business. How can I check this?

One of the requirements for receiving a benefit consisting in co-financing part of the costs of running a business is the absence of financial arrears related to the payment of taxes and contributions to social security, health insurance, the Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund, the Labour Fund or the Solidarity Fund by the end of the third quarter of 2019.

At the outset, it should be pointed out that when submitting an application, it is sufficient to submit declarations of no arrears with the payment of taxes and insurance contributions to the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) by the end of the third quarter of 2019, so it is not required to submit any document to confirm these circumstances.

However, it should be remembered that all statements included in the application are made by the entrepreneur under penalty of perjury.

Therefore, if you have any doubts as to the correct payment of your receivables to the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) or the tax office, you can submit applications to the relevant authorities for certificates of no arrears in taxes and contributions due to the Social Insurance Institution. These applications can be submitted electronically, which would be most appropriate in the current situation. All the necessary information can be found on the website of the Social Insurance Institution and the government website of the biznes.gov.pl.

If you want to save time, you can also check the status of payments and arrears of insurance contributions on the Electronic Services Platform of the Social Insurance Institution by logging in to your own account (if you do not have an account yet, you can register on the website).

We also recommend that you contact the relevant tax office and the social security institution directly by phone, where they will provide you with information on how to obtain information about possible arrears effectively and quickly.

It should be noted that the statement of non-arrears must apply to insurance premiums and taxes due for the period until the end of September 2019. Therefore, if you have certificates or information about not being in arrears in payments for the previous period, it is worth verifying the status of the arrears again in order to rule out any inaccuracies.

2. Employment Maintenance Requirement for Loan Forgiveness:

One of the aids provided under the anti-crisis shield is a low-interest loan for micro-entrepreneurs granted by the starosta. This loan can be forgiven later.

In order to apply for loan forgiveness, you must declare that you have maintained your employment. The provision of the Act reads exactly as follows:

“The loan with interest at the request of a micro-entrepreneur shall be written off, provided that the micro-entrepreneur does not reduce the number of full-time employees for a period of 3 months from the date of its granting in relation to the number of employees as at 29 February 2020. In the application for remission, the micro-entrepreneur declares that he has not reduced the number of employees.”

In other words, the loan may be forgiven if, for a period of three months from the date of its granting, the entrepreneur has not reduced the number of full-time employees in relation to the number of employees as at 29 February 2020.

The provision does not directly indicate the manner in which the number of employees should be calculated, but it should be considered that the correct interpretation is that maintaining the employment status does not mean the inability to dismiss the employee and hire a new one. It is only important that the number of FTEs does not decrease compared to 29 February 2020.

If this state of affairs cannot be maintained, the entrepreneur will be obliged to repay the loan with interest.

It should be remembered that in the application for loan forgiveness, the entrepreneur submits a statement that the number of employees has not been reduced under pain of criminal liability for making false statements.

3. The Anti-Crisis Shield and entrepreneurs settling their taxes on the basis of the tax card.

Demurrage allowance:

Entrepreneurs who are natural persons and settle their tax in the form of a tax card can also take advantage of the demurrage allowance. The benefit is available both to those who benefit from the VAT exemption and to those who are VAT taxpayers. However, the conditions that must be met in order to receive the benefit, as well as the amount of the benefit, will vary in both cases.

Due to the inability to determine revenue, entrepreneurs who settle on the basis of a tax card and are exempt from VAT do not have to report a decrease in revenue. Each time, they can apply for a demurrage allowance in the amount of 50% of the minimum wage in 2020, i.e. PLN 1,300.

However, it should be remembered that you must have started your business before 1 February 2020, as well as that you are subject to social insurance only as an entrepreneur, which also applies in this case.

The self-employed, who are VAT payers, must meet the standard conditions for granting the benefit. They are obliged to keep records of revenues for the purposes of VAT settlements, so they have the opportunity to demonstrate a decrease in revenues, which is a necessary condition for obtaining the above-mentioned revenues. Provide. In order to receive the demurrage benefit, they must demonstrate a decrease in revenue of at least 15% compared to February 2020. In this case, the demurrage allowance amounts to 80% of the minimum wage in 2020, i.e. PLN 2,080.00

The demurrage allowance is not subject to contributions and taxation.

Co-financing of part of the costs of running a business:

A necessary condition to be met is to demonstrate a decrease in economic turnover, understood as a decrease in sales of goods or services in terms of quantity or value. The amount of the subsidy will also depend on the amount of the inheritance. It must therefore be held that, if it is not possible to demonstrate a decrease in turnover, the benefit is not due.

4. Combining benefits from the anti-crisis shield for the self-employed.

The possibility of obtaining funding from various sources may be limited. An entrepreneur will be entitled to exemption from the obligation to pay contributions to the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) regardless of receiving other types of support. Unfortunately, the situation is different when it comes to demurrage benefits and co-financing of the costs of running a business, as it has been explicitly indicated that “An entrepreneur may not receive a subsidy in the part in which the same costs of running a business have been or will be financed from other public funds.” Therefore, the possibility of taking advantage of further aid under the anti-crisis shield will depend on the individual situation of the entrepreneur.

 

Dear Parent,

At Olivia, we focus on good education at every stage of our lives.

Let’s start with the youngest. We have two primary schools here and they are excellent! Thanks to the fact that your children will study close to you – in Oliwa – you will be able to spend more time together:) This is just one of the advantages. Both facilities offer plenty of extracurricular activities. You can also take advantage of the OBC offer for children and parents. Everything is just a few steps away!

KINDERGARTENS AND SCHOOLS:

Babies can be educated in the White Kitten kindergarten, in the Olivia Tower building.
Learn more.

The Thinking Zone Primary School* is also located in the Olivia Business Centre itself, in the Olivia Gate building.
Learn more about it.
Remember that the recruitment process for the TZ primary school starts in March. Check it out here…

Only 5 minutes from Olivia there is our excellent neighbor – Primary School No. 35! Learn
more
. You can find out the details of admission to this school here.

Of course, let’s not forget that Thinking Zone* is also a high school! Read about high school admissions .

*What is the purpose of the Thinking Zone? Such that TZ graduates think critically, are independent and enterprising. They had the ability to manage their emotions, worked as a team and were proactive in their approach to challenges in adult life. The above values are the signposts of the school that teaches

What’s more? A young man at the age of 17 is faced with an important choice: which way to go? Study or work? The answers to these questions are often related to what the job market looks like. It’s best to find out for yourself. It is worth taking advantage of the help of the Inspiring Examples Foundation, which cooperates with us, which m.in. It takes young people out of schools and into the real business world. It shows how companies operate, both the largest, international and small, family businesses. It teaches them that they should choose their own path and indicates that the number of options is virtually unlimited.

We are proud of the fact that the University of Gdansk, a university that combines tradition with modernity, is right next door. Education in almost all fields of academic knowledge and in professions sought after on the labour market is combined with modern conditions for studying on UG campuses. Today, it is one of the most modern academic centres in Poland.

A year-round course in Olivia for children? Of course! We have, for example, technical and engineering games for children in English, and on top of that, with the use of Lego® Education sets. With the new school year, we are planning the next edition!

Want to stay up to date? Join
the For Parents group on Facebook.

Read how you can advance your career and take care of your personal development with Olivia
.

At Olivia, we focus on development, so we try to support you at every stage of your private and professional life. Below are some of our or our projects in which you can take part in order to improve your qualifications, gain experience, gain knowledge and new skills.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Infoshare Academy. It is worth taking part in the courses provided by Infoshare Academy, which not only prepare you for work as a programmer, but also help you find employment after completing the training! The offer includes Front-End, Java, Python, SQL courses. More…

The Talent Development Centre is a modern advisory and coaching centre located in OBC. At the same time, it is the first centre in Poland providing services in the field of talent diagnostics. The CRT includes, m.in , a Career Academy (for all residents of Pomerania, including working people), a Personal Development Zone (for people registered with the Gdańsk Labour Office) and a Youth Land of Talents (dedicated to students, parents and teachers). One of the main tasks of the CRT is cooperation with the education sector, schools and universities. More…

Career Accelerator – a 10-month O4 Coworking training program, in which workshops, meetings with mentors and experts, open conversations and the opportunity to establish relationships play a key role. The schedule of the Career Accelerator is usually very busy. Leadership, making compromises, motivating colleagues, supporting others, advising, body language – these are just a few of the topics that are on the agenda. The organizers focus on practical classes, matter-of-factness, useful sources of knowledge and inspiration. Professionals, well-known figures from the business world, were invited to participate in the project; m.in: Piotr Bucki, Michał Kanarkiewicz, Dominika Rossa.
More…

O4 Coworking workshops. A series of inspiring meetings with specialists in many fields carried out by O4 Coworking. Active learning during meetings co-authored by their participants. Practical tips, advice, case studies. The workshops are conducted by experts from the business world, who share their knowledge and experience with passion and energy.
More…

Language Tandem OBC – language exchange at Olivia Business Centre. Opportunity to meet and learn foreign languages with the participation of natives.
Join the OBC language group
and be with us!

Olivia TechWomen. A series of meetings and workshops with the participation of women from the technology industry under the common umbrella of Olivia Business Centre and its Residents. The shortage of IT specialists in Poland is estimated at 50,000. and the outlook for the future is not optimistic. One of the chances to improve the situation is to activate the potential of women in this area, which can have a real impact on reducing recruitment problems in IT companies. Olivia TechWomen is an opportunity to strengthen this potential by sharing the knowledge of female “role models” from the industry. So far, the partners of the meetings have been m.in. Amazon Development Center Poland, Aspire Systems, Develocraft Finest Media, InfoShare Academy, Sii, thyssenkrupp, O4 Coworking. Want to know more? Write: flow@o4.network

FAIRit proves that in IT is a place for women! The program consists of regular workshops, mentoring and meetings with employers. Experienced men and women from the world of IT and HR join forces here to break stereotypes and develop the career of workshop participants in the IT sector. More…

SPECIALIZATION

HR Club. The mission of the HR Club operating at Olivia is to support its members in shaping the highest standards of work and constantly improving the competences of HR managers in the era of progressing digitization. The club is a space for talking, exchanging experiences and gaining knowledge. During the meetings and workshops, difficult challenges facing today’s HR are discussed, good practices are presented, modern solutions and trends are presented. Join the HRBP CLUB now or contact us by e-mail: biuro@klubhr.pl

Pomerania Development Agency – the mission of the Agency for the Development of Pomerania, based in Olivia, is to act for the harmonious development of Pomerania by supporting Pomeranian entrepreneurship and local governments, as well as initiating and supporting economic ventures of regional importance. IDA manages a Capital Fund investing in innovative business ideas, provides consulting and training services. It helps local companies to open up to foreign markets, e.g. by co-financing participation in fairs and other events, organizing regional stands, economic missions or training. More…

Success Written in Lipstick – What Do Women Need to Start Their Business? Above all… support for other women. Companies and communities gathered in Olivia Business Centre and O4 Coworking are also convinced that it will be useful to get help on the way to success. That is why Olivia has created the first co-working space in Poland, dedicated to women,
O4 Flow
. It is here that women gathered around the
Success Written in Lipstick
and
Success To Me
projects meet – the largest nationwide program to strengthen women’s professional activity based on two key areas: expanding competences and knowledge, and enabling the exchange of experiences and finding inspiration.

Space3ac – an acceleration program for startups from all over the world. Currently, 17 young companies are already benefiting from the benefits of Space3ac: financial support in the amount of PLN 200,000 per project and opportunities to cooperate with large companies. The ongoing round of the Space3ac accelerator is organized by the Gdańsk-based company Blue Dot Solutions as part of the Scale Up program of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. In three rounds, a total of about 60 startups from all over Polish will be accepted to the accelerator. It is extremely important for these startups to be able to work with accelerator partners. The so-called Technology Recipients in Space3ac are Luxon LED Olivia Business Centre, Orange, OT Logistics Group, Pekabex, PKN ORLEN, SAFE Co. Ltd. sp. z o. o., Silesian Science and Technology Centre of the Aviation Industry, Valmont Poland and @portgdansk. It is for these companies that they will pilot innovative solutions in the field of space sector technologies, smart city and bioeconomy. More…

The Gdańsk Foundation for Management Development (GFKM) based in Olivia is a training and consulting company specializing in training and development projects for managers and personnel of medium and large Polish and international companies. It is one of the largest and most experienced training companies in Poland. It runs a full spectrum of programs, including Executive MBA programs, corporate training, open training, postgraduate studies, coaching programs and consulting projects, providing its clients with a unique synergy of quality and practice. More…

Tech.3camp is a Tri-City meeting of tech-geeks dealing with and passionate about the Internet. Each meeting is divided into 2 parts: the conference part – a series of 3-4 presentations of 25-35 minutes each and the networking part, where you can not only talk about the topics discussed on a given day, but also make new contacts. During Tech.3camp, the following topics are discussed: application design, software testing, security, systems administration… Tech.3campers are interested in all technical aspects of new technologies. More…

Here you can read about the educational offer for your children

Here you will find information about the events you can take part in

 

A strong group under a call – this is the best description for a team that has united completely from the bottom up in thyssenkrupp. In order to raise awareness, at the same time to show that environmental alarms are not media foaming at the mouth. If every “user” of the Earth makes their contribution, thanks to small changes supported by knowledge, there is a chance to stop the catastrophe that we are all already beginning to feel. Mirka Konkol, Maciek Lewandowski and Marek Kraska, representatives of #tkVolunteerTeam, talk about the desire to save the world in many ways that are close to us.

A strong group under the call and a thrilling idea. Can you tell me what’s going on?

Marcus: Oh the planet! Understanding what is happening around us, we decided to create a platform that will allow us to share knowledge about ecology.

Maciek: Initially, it seemed to us that we were the only ones interested in the topic. And so, quite unexpectedly, a small idea quickly became a larger initiative – almost 40 thyssenkrupp employees took part in the first meeting.

A big surprise when the hall turned out to be full?

Mirka: Very much, I didn’t expect such a turnout during the first workshop. I don’t think any of us (laughs).

Maciek: This number convinces us that there are many more people around us who care about environmental protection. They are passionate about it and want to share their knowledge, which I find fantastic and promising. I remember that I got involved with minimal knowledge of the subject, because for me ecology was mainly about segregating rubbish (laughs).

Are you all eco-friendly?

Marek: We can introduce ourselves as #tkVolunteerTeam, i.e. a group that was created at thyssenkrupp with the idea of conducting pro-social activities in the form of volunteering. One of the topics that attracted the most interest was ecology. Have we been eco-friendly for years? I have no idea, and it seems to me that each of us started at a different time. It is important that we want to act here and now, because caring for the environment is a very important topic.

Are you planning to change the world?

Mirka: Definitely! We want to have an impact on its shape.

Marek: The question is how the world is evolving and what methods we will adopt. By changing around us, we have an impact on a larger whole.

Mirka: We want to sensitize people, show that environmental alarms are not just media foaming. Each of us makes a contribution and only knowledge will allow us to stop the catastrophe whose beginnings we are beginning to feel.

Was the company a testing ground for change?

Maciek: In general, our goal is broadly understood local ecology. We aim at what we can do at home, in the company.

What can you do?

Maciek: The simplest example is what happened after Eko TK. In the past, in our office, everyone had their own trash, everything was mixed with leftovers. After the eco meeting, we managed to push through the idea to reduce the number of garbage cans by placing a few of them on the floor with markings on what and where to throw them.

Mirka: It helped, and at the same time it forced people to get up from their desks.

Did they curse you for such “conveniences”?

Maciek: There wasn’t even much resistance (laughs). However, it seems that if we had done it before Eco TK, the reluctance could have been felt, because it would have been something totally new, and this is how we managed to connect to the idea of being eco.

Mirka: The workshop helped me decide to go ahead with the proposed changes. At the start, we started with plastic and its types, which we deal with most often.

Can we recognize them?

Mirka: Most often not, just as we don’t realize that the same product can be bought in more valuable plastic. You just need to know about the numbers that are its designation. You can buy natural yogurt, which is seemingly in plastic, because it is actually polystyrene. You can choose the one that will have a two or five on the back and this cup will be bought faster by companies that deal with the disposal and further processing of packaging. During the meeting, we also raised the problem of various types of substances – non-degradable and burdensome to the environment contained in cosmetics for daily body and beauty care and cleaning products.

Was there shock and disbelief?

Mirka: Yes, people had no idea that they were paying a lot of money for a crappy line-up.

Maciek: Mirka has the most knowledge in our team and is also a treasure trove of curiosities. I particularly remember the information about microplastics that can be found in face cosmetics. It seems to us that pure magic, and this is the action of silicones.

Mirka: Yes, we use silicones in face creams. Expensive creams, in addition to a small amount of nutritional composition, contain microplastics, which can remain on the skin for up to three days. The manufacturer tells us that the skin will be smooth and moisturized – but this will not be the result of the action of nutrients, but silicones.

Which topic caught on the most during the workshop?

Mirka: Sorting was the biggest discussion.

Maciek: The discussion was related to what and where to put it.

Mirka: It was about the typical but troublesome rubbish that we deal with every day. What should I do if I have a sausage or cheese package, where to put it. An empty bottle – what about the cap, what about the cardboard. By the way, we have found out together that our overzealousness and excessive accuracy in sorting can be harmful.

How is that possible?

Mirka: Not all rubbish is worth sorting. In many homes, that all the waste goes into one bag and when we stand under the container we start sorting, not paying attention to the fact that in the net in which we have the waste to be recycled, there are greasy packages that will stain the paper material.

So hell has been paved with good intentions?

Mirka: Not so dramatic, but you need to know that your tea wrapper doesn’t end up in the same bag as a yoghurt box, a cream carton and cold cuts paper. For the buyer of waste paper, it will be a damaged raw material.

Grassroots work with a bit of “shovelology?

Marek: The topic aroused a lot of emotions, because people have a lot of good will and want to get involved in sorting. Often, they just lack guidance.

Maciek: We still know that we don’t know much!

Marek: The formula of the workshops was based on the opportunity to benefit from Mirka’s in-depth knowledge and the need to educate herself among herself. Nothing forced, no artificial pumping or coercion, be eco-friendly.

Mirka: It is worth noting that the topic of substitutes that are less burdensome for the environment has aroused an interesting discussion.

What do you mean?

Mirka: Beeswax wraps, i.e. protecting sheets of cotton fabric or canvas with wax, avoiding foil for food protection, replacing disposable packaging with reusable ones. Simple ideas, such as glass straws and stones for refining water, popular in the Czech Republic. People have amazing ideas and it was a treasure trove of exchange of experiences.

Was a bit of inspiration enough?

Mirka: Yes, all it took was a little bit of encouragement.

Marek: In addition to the exchange of experiences, we managed to prepare specific things. Martyna from our team made a demonstration of how to easily prepare everyday products. Dishwasher powder based on soda ash, citric acid and organic oils is much less harmful to the environment than ready-made products offered in stores.

Mirka: The solutions we showed turned out to be much cheaper. We deliberately took into account the cost estimate in order to further encourage the participants.

Maciek: There is a common thinking that eco means more expensive, and this is not the case at all. It seems to me that the “do-it-yourself” methods have convinced the male part of the interested parties very much.

How much will we save?

Mirka: Dishwasher powder will cost us 10 cents, and we will pay a zloty for a store-bought one.

Marek: The price appeals to the imagination and I’m sure it’s also an effective way to encourage someone to experiment with homemade cleaning products.

What does volunteering work look like in practice?

Maciek: Thanks to our company, we are able to incorporate a certain part of the time spent on volunteering into working hours, which allows us to determine certain things when we are all there. Of course, many details require involvement after hours – preparation of materials and messages. That’s why we want to introduce meeting structures so that they don’t fall apart. We are still learning ourselves and it’s great that each of us is able to get something out of volunteering, see how it works in the project environment, find out what the methodology is all about, or what it’s like to take part in an interview (laughs).

Marek: What is important for our group is that the movement happened from the bottom up. We communicated on our own, the idea was that it was worth taking up the challenge, during several meetings the concept of the basic structure of a group of volunteers appeared among people who want to do something for others of their own free will.

The company’s management looked kindly, did you surprise with the idea?

Mirka: It started with an initiative that wasn’t formalized into volunteering, so I think the board got used to the fact that we wanted to do it. We decided to go beyond the department and invite other teams to cooperate. It turned out that everyone supports volunteering in different ways, but there was nothing that ties us together by giving us the tools to discuss with the management and HR.

Maciek: It quickly turned out that we were able to build a team within the company. The most important thing for the company is to make our work possible, but we also approach the subject with common sense and do not expect that hundreds of thousands of dollars will start flowing into our activities in an uninterrupted stream. We look for solutions that are rational. This, in my opinion, is the idea of volunteering.

Marek: Brick by brick. The idea is to activate and engage people and their potential. At thyssenkrupp, we have room for action.

Mirka: We sifted the ideas through a sieve. We didn’t want to torture and be seen as crazy activists. The most important thing is to act with taste, acceptable, without causing the flight reflex.

What are your immediate plans?

Maciek: We will continue to work locally for ecology in an educational project and we want to get involved in something bigger.

Mirka: We would like to save the world on a larger scale. Now that we know more, we have planned an event for the Tri-City. We hope you will be with us!

_{Interviewed by: Dagmara Rybicka, Communication Department, Olivia Business Centre}

This news has certainly been awaited by all CityFit lovers! Our 24-hour fitness club has started to accept MultiSport Plus cards! Taking into account the fact that most of the companies in our center offer such cards to their employees, we thought that it would be good for this information to “go out into the world”.

CityFit Olivia is the largest, round-the-clock fitness club in the Tri-City, with as many as 2210 m.kw. It covers two floors of Olivia Six. It is perfectly connected – there are SKM Przymorze and SKM Oliwa stops nearby, as well as tram stops. The back of the building allows you to leave your bike or scooter here.

The club is equipped with as many as 11 usable zones, which provides ample space for individual exercises and more. The huge club area is surrounded by large windows, which means that the daylight entering the club significantly improves the comfort of training. The club is equipped with over 300 premium devices.
Read more here…

Oh, and you’ll find a relaxation area where you can charge your phone or heat up food in the public microwaves. CityFit Olivia also provides access to a fountain with free drinking water and machines where you can buy drinks, bars or utility products needed for training. Everything is supervised by an experienced and extremely friendly service team available from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekends.

And one more word about the MultiSport Plus card in CityFit. Bonuses?

• fitness classes in the MultiSport package
• Free Workout Plans
• once a month free consultations with trainers

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: the club is open 24/7, but a person with a MultiSport card must ENTER during the working hours of the staff, i.e. 6:00-22:00 on weekdays and 8:00-20:00 on weekends. Why? This is due to technical reasons – the staff scans the card at each visit. Example: a person with MultiSport comes at 9:59:00 p.m., we scan the card and enters the club. He can leave whenever he wants.

Registration of a MultiSport package

In this unique melting pot, many ideas are already being developed that will make Gdańsk and Poland famous in the international arena. There is a prospect that global players will start to think of Gdańsk as a place that will replace the capital of Great Britain on the map of investments in areas such as fintech and broadly understood IT. What barriers do Polish entrepreneurs most often encounter and can the Gdańsk metropolis benefit from Brexit explains Krzysztof Mazur, PhD, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Development, PhD in political science, social activist and publicist, in an interview with Dagmara Rybicka from Olivia Business Centre.

In your opinion, what are the most common barriers faced by Polish entrepreneurs in the European Union?

These are, first and foremost, service barriers. They are burdensome inspections, requiring additional certificates, very detailed documentation and lack of access to information. The Ministry of Development has prepared a publication which is the result of cooperation with entrepreneurs in the field of their reported difficulties. In the Black Book, we described cases of such barriers in the single market.

How do our entrepreneurs cope with obstacles compared to other EU countries?

Polish entrepreneurs have the ability to try not to worry about adversities.

Is this a trait of history in your opinion?

I think there’s an entrepreneurial gene in us. If someone decides to run a business, even when they encounter unfavorable regulations, they rather wonder how to effectively navigate among them. Polish entrepreneurs show far-reaching determination and creativity. Indeed, at a time when such regulations or restrictions are commonplace, it requires, for example, the employment of additional people who handle control, the activities of trade unions and workers’ self-governments, which they are able to deal with, although this generates additional costs.

Do you think that the Gdansk metropolis can benefit from Brexit?

Certainly, there is a great determination on the part of the United Kingdom to continue the lively trade cooperation. We don’t know what it will look like, because we are in a transition period. Brexit will not really come into force until 1 January 2021 and now a free trade agreement is being negotiated between London and Brussels, the shape of which will determine a lot. Poles who have settled in the UK are now thinking about how much and whether they should return to their homeland. From the perspective of Gdańsk, it is an interesting issue – on what scale and how to conduct an active policy of encouraging entrepreneurs – who know the language, have several years of work behind them and know the realities – to return.

Do you think they will be able to cope with this slightly different reality?

It seems to me that the EU world has come so close that they could take advantage of many of the positive things they have had the opportunity to observe. Poland does not deviate so much from Western standards, so it would not be a collision with a wall. Today, many global initiatives are looking for locations outside of London. I know of a very prestigious Venture Capital Fund from the United States that would like to start an active activity in Europe and is no longer thinking about London, but about Stockholm or Tallinn. This shows that for Polish and for Gdansk, there is a prospect that global players will start to think of us as a place that will replace the capital of Great Britain on the map of investments in areas such as fintech and broadly understood IT.

Why did the UK’s decision cause such concern?

Let me give you an example. Let’s look at the number of trucks that enter the UK. If each of them were to stand at the border for only 5 seconds, we would still generate a kilometer-long traffic jam. Taking into account that customs clearance can take much longer than these few seconds, we can imagine the enormity of the resulting congestion on the actual level of trade. These may apply to goods and all other areas related to services, data transfer, banking systems. This shows that Great Britain can become a real island and everyone who does business there and lives there is simply afraid of it.

Can places such as Olivia Business Centre become or are they a flywheel of the Polish economy?

Looking from the perspective of Warsaw, Olivia Business Centre is certainly an outstanding place, both in terms of the scale of office space for rent and the accumulation of knowledge. In these buildings there are many representative offices of Western corporations, as well as Polish companies, startups and VC funds. This creates a melting pot unique on a Polish scale and I am sure that many ideas are already being created in it that will make Gdańsk and Poland famous on the international arena. I believe that places like Olivia are the flywheels of our economy, which in Morawiecki’s plan speaks of global champions and the desire to have domestic companies that conquer global markets. These companies can be created in such an environment that will allow them to grow.

 

^{Krzysztof Mazur – Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Development. PhD in political science, social activist and publicist. Employee of the Institute of Political Science and International Relations of the Jagiellonian University. Member of the Council of the National Centre for Research and Development and Chairman of the Steering Committee of the strategic programme “Gospostrateg” at the National Centre for Research and Development. As a member of the Foundation’s Council, he is involved in the work of the Coalition for Polish Innovations. Since 2015 Member of the National Development Council appointed by the President of the Republic of Poland, where he sits in the “Education, Young Generation, Sport” and “Science and Innovation” sections. More…}

^{Krzysztof Mazur was a guest of Olivia Business Centre and the Jagiellonian Club during a debate on the situation of Polish companies in the European Union. The meeting was also attended by Patryk Kaczmarek, PhD, assistant professor at the Department of Banking and Finance at the Faculty of Management at the University of Gdańsk, President of the Management Board of Project Finance Sp. z o.o., a company dealing with the preparation of investment projects. Winner of the Rector’s Award of the University of Gdańsk for the best PhD students in 2018.}

 

She spoke:
Dagmara Rybicka, Communication Department of Olivia Business Centre

Acxiom Global Service Center Polska has signed a new, 6-year lease agreement for the enlarged space in the Olivia Four building. This is a confirmation of the dynamic development of companies located in the Oliwa office center and another business success of the IT company operating all over the world.

We decided to expand the lease area due to the dynamic development and opening of new workplaces in the area of supporting the company’s key customers – says Tomasz Świecki, Director Delivery at Acxiom Global Service Center Polska.

Since 2016, Acxiom offices have occupied an area of 1269 m2 in Olivia Business Centre. Even before the expiry of the contract period, the company decided to extend it and increase the occupied area to 1682 m2. According to the new regulations, the company’s offices will be located on the 3rd and 4th floor of the Olivia Four building. At the same time, Acxiom increases the number of parking spaces occupied in underground garages.

The new agreement provides for the reconstruction and renovation of the existing space and the arrangement of new offices. Katarzyna Koza and Jagoda Paluchowska are responsible for the arrangement. As before, the new space will feature many interesting solutions that also take into account the ecology of materials and manufacturing technologies. In terms of arrangement, the design refers to the current surface, which can be seen, for example, in the choice of carpet colors or decorative elements, i.e. gray, green and intense orange. There will also be new elements, e.g. referring to the city where the office is located, i.e. Gdańsk. There will also be solutions that will enable optimal use of the available space and ensure the most comfortable working conditions for our employees. – Karolina Bykowska, Facility Manager at Acxiom.

The company’s offices, in addition to well-equipped workstations, provide a relaxation room with a billiard table, darts, a game console and a TV. There will also be space for a ping-pong table on the new surface. A fully equipped kitchen and a spacious dining area are available to the staff. Acxiom also pays a lot of attention to ecology. The company has chosen a building that has passed the rigorous BREEM certification at the Excellent level, and the office interior furnishings are made of recycled materials. Office carpets are produced exclusively using renewable energy and without production waste. No glue is used to install them, and ecological tapes made of recycled plastic bottles, after dismantling the lining, will be reused by their manufacturer.

Currently, adaptation works are underway in the offices. They are scheduled to be completed in May 2020.

Olivia Four is an 11-storey class A office building. sq.m. office space. Since the commissioning of Olivia Four in March 2014. m.in established their headquarters there. Allianz, Atos Origin, Epam Systems, Generali, HK Finance, LOTOS-Air BP, Nationale Nederlanden, Omida Group, Roedl, Solveo (formerly Moore Stephens) and the American Quad Graphics.

In addition to international companies, Olivia Four also provides space for start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises. It’s m.in. With them in mind, the ground floor, first and second floors of the building have been designated for the O₄ innovation development space, combining a multimedia conference centre, office space of various sizes, co-working space with desks for rent by the hour and a social area. Olivia Four also houses the Natka canteen.

The main hall of the Olivia Four building, where Acxiom is located, is considered one of the most beautiful in Olivia. It is paved with Tuscan Bianco Carrara marble and Spanish Nero Marquina. In the lobby stands the iconic Barcelona furniture, designed by Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe for the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition.

 

_{Olivia Business Centre in Gdańsk is the largest and most modern office and business center in the region. Its target size will exceed 200,000 sq m, and already amounts to 175,000 sq m, which has made Olivia Business Centre the largest office project in Poland. Olivia’s largest residents include Airhelp, Amazon, Arrow, Bayer, Energa, EPAM, Fujifilm, Nordea, PwC, Ricoh, Sii, Staples, ThyssenKrupp.}

_{However, Olivia Business Centre is much more than just buildings. Business, educational, cultural and sporting events are regularly held here. Residents of the centre have at their disposal 3 large conference centres and a number of smaller ones, 2 medical centres with a pharmacy, 10 restaurants and cafes, a kindergarten, a nursery, a primary school and a high school, 4 banks, a large fitness centre, a beauty salon, a notary, an electric car charging point and O4, one of the largest coworking spaces in Poland. In July 2019, in Olivia Star, the highest building in northern Polish, a public viewing level was opened, enabling a 360° view. to the entire Tri-City and the highest conference center in Poland, at a height of nearly 160 meters above the ground. On the 33rd floor there are two prestigious restaurants: Arco and Treinta y Tres, run by Paco Pérez, one of the most successful chefs in the world. The centre has over 1600 parking spaces, several hundred bicycle racks and a large changing room with showers for cyclists in each of the 7 buildings.}

Olivia Prime, a 55,000 m2 building, is now fully available – part B has been granted an occupancy permit, almost 2 years after part A. It is a completely unique building – each of its largest floors is nearly half a hectare of area, and due to the complicated shape of the two-part building, the project offers intimacy and comfort found in smaller buildings. Olivia Prime is one of the most employee-friendly office buildings in Poland, and at the same time ensures the highest standards of safety and ecology.

Olivia Prime is the newest building in Olivia Business Centre. So far, the largest area on its premises has been offered by Olivia Star (44,000 m2 of area), commissioned in 2018.

The building was designed by a Gdynia-based studio BJK Architects, and the design of each of the huge main halls and the entire interior of the building is by Design Anatomy. The main idea behind the creation of Olivia Prime was to care for the comfort and well-being of users: That is why we decided to build a large number of terraces and private, small loggias, allowing us to provide the comfort known from residential buildings – says Maciej Kotarski, Director of the Commercialization Department at Olivia Business Centre. For this reason, there are as many as 19 loggias in Olivia Prime. Experience shows that they are among the favorite spaces of employees, who are eager to take advantage of the opportunity to work on a deckchair, with a laptop on their lap. The building also offers 6 terraces (2 large and 4 small). Some of them are gable (roof) terraces used for relaxation, available to all employees of the building, including two with a view of the sea. A large private terrace is at the disposal of, for example, Sii company, at whose request we designed a huge dining room shared by the entire company. This form of lunch in the open air, available straight from the office, creates a completely new level of comfort in office buildings.

The interior design is in the spirit of biophilic design and power art: Olivia Prime is a unique building in every respect – says Anna Branicka from the Design Anatomy studio. We place great emphasis on the contact of its users with nature and natural materials. Extensive terraces, filled with vegetation, frequently appearing wood, as well as greenery suspended from the ceilings make an amazing impression in an ultra-modern office building. Power art is also an element of influencing the positive emotions of users. The building is saturated with art. Murals in the halls, walls designed like paintings by well-known Tri-City artists, screens in the main hall – sliding constructions in many planes. Some of them have electronic screens, while others are a fantastic medium for works of art, which we will change regularly. The combination of the biophilic trend and art allows us to fulfill two needs. The first is the harmony of spirit and the sense of contact with nature through plants, soft furniture and natural materials. The second need is to provide a sense that this is where we gain positive energy. Entering work is supposed to make us smile, energize, make us feel a surge of power and want to act. Creatively, with enthusiasm and optimism – that’s what art and changeability are for.

Olivia Prime is one of only 4 buildings in Poland with an all-glass, ventilated triple-glazed façade, which provides the best possible lighting of the interior, and on winter and autumn days allows maximum access to daylight, which is so important for humans. This allows you to ensure better well-being of your employees and constant access to fresh air. In spring and summer, despite full glazing, the triple-glazed façade prevents overheating and provides thermal comfort even on very sunny days.

The building ensures the highest standards in the area of safety, energy and epidemiology.

Olivia Prime is probably the safest building in Poland when it comes to business continuity – says Maciej Kotarski. It is perfectly protected in terms of energy, thanks to the power supply from 3 independent sources, as well as thanks to the building’s UPS installations, a set of power generators and internal power lines between the buildings, enabling power supply to the entire building during power outages from the outside. An important element of safety is the additional guarantees of suppliers ensuring that the generators are refuelled during operation in the event of a prolonged power outage. An interesting fact – we have a unique, emergency running water tank, which allows the building to function even in the event of a network failure and lack of water supply. This is very important, because in the event of a lack of water supply, every office building has to be closed after a few hours: the inability to flush toilets causes an obvious epidemiological threat.

In the current situation of the state of epidemic, the most modern contactless systems are an additional security: a contactless system for entering the building, which allows you not only to pass through access control, but at the same time to call the elevator contactlessly. In addition, water and soap in the toilets are operated without contact. Epidemiological safety is ensured by hygienic paper towels, which do not pose a risk of spraying germs, such as air blowers

Tenant:

The building is divided into two parts. In part A, almost all floors are leased by global corporations such as Amazon, Arrow, Deloitte, EPAM and Sii. Most of the building is occupied by IT companies, and the Amazon offices located here, dedicated to Amazon Web Services, should be treated in a similar way.

In part B, EPAM and Arrow lease offices. Both Epam and Arrow will occupy floors in both parts of the building – A and B, and such one floor has about 3800 m2 of space.

It is in Olivia Prime that one of the most attractive and largest offices in Pomerania and Olivia Business Centre is located – the Sii office. It has 5 floors, each with 2,000 floors. m2 (a total of one hectare of offices), connected by slides and internal staircases, with its own terrace next to the huge dining room, with numerous private loggias, a gym and a climbing wall on 2 floors.

The office won an award in the Office Superstar competition organized by CBRE for the best recreational space in Poland and a distinction for the best office in the Tri-City. The author of Sii’s interior design project is also the Design Anatomy studio, i.e. a team of architects from Olivia Business Centre.