A 17-year-old from Rybnik, wanting to finance a holiday trip, earned extra money for two months by taking care of animals. Unfortunately, his savings of 8,500 PLN caught the interest of the bank and sparked a discussion about limits for minors.
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The father of a teenager from Rybnik says his daughter knows how to care for animals, which is why she spent two months working with them.
She was paid fairly for it. Plus, she got money from her grandparents. For some strange reasons, a teenager cannot have more than 8,000 in their account – said the teenager’s father.
The bank has blocked part of the funds in the account
After Banco Santander blocked part of the funds in the 17-year-old’s account, it was discovered that the bank took PLN 500 of the amount of PLN 8,500 she paid. Although the bank guarantees that These resources will be returned, but this will only happen at the end of the month, as long as the teenager’s income does not exceed the established limit again.
Banking regulations
The father and daughter called the hotline. A bank representative, during a telephone conversation, confirmed the compliance of such procedures with applicable regulations. Furthermore, as justification, he cited the provisions of the Civil Code regarding the management of minors’ assets, explaining that the bank operates in accordance with these regulations. The bank’s regulations state that activities related to the management of funds in an account that can be classified as ordinary management are limited to PLN 8,000 per month.
For some strange reason, a teenager cannot have more than PLN 8,000 in the account. That’s what we were told on the hotline. And since the daughter had an inflow of PLN 8,500, the bank took PLN 500. And we were rudely informed that we would only receive them next month. But only if the income does not exceed 8,000 PLN! If my daughter worked and earned more, the bank would not pay again!– said the girl’s nervous father in an interview with row.info.pl.
The lawyers’ opinions, expressed in the public space, question the bank’s arguments. According to lawyers, the provisions of the Civil Code do not contain limits on the amount of funds that a minor may have at his disposal. The editors of the row.info.pl portal also asked the collaborating law firm to assess the situation.
The bank’s translation is bizarre. The Civil Code nowhere specifies that a minor cannot have income exceeding PLN 8,000 and that court authorization is required to dispose of such an amount. This is not true. What’s more, the bank could check the transaction in case the teenager wanted to spend the money. If he receives it, that’s out of the question. – said a lawyer specializing in civil law.
Child labor – restrictions
The working time of minors is strictly regulated. Persons under 16 years of age can work a maximum of 6 hours a day, and persons aged 16 to 18 years – 8 hours. This limit also includes time dedicated to studies, during and outside working hours. Due to the obligation to study, the actual working time of a teenager is often limited to 3-4 hours per day. If the working time is at least 4.5 hours, the young worker is entitled to a 30-minute break, which is included in the working time.
Furthermore, the law guarantees young workers at least 14 hours of uninterrupted night time. In addition, they have the right to: right to at least 48 hours of uninterrupted rest per week, including Sundays.Youth workers, in addition to mandatory breaks during school holidays, are entitled to additional leave. After six months of work, they are entitled to at least 12 days off.
