Poland Liceum ogólnokształcące, klasa III Business and Management (extended level)
Chapters: 2
1. Personal finance and financial markets
Risk and investment strategy · Instruments and the stock exchange · Insurance, money and consumer protection
- Investing Basics: Shares, Bonds, Funds and Risk – Saving keeps money safe; investing puts money to work so it can grow faster than prices rise. Shares make you part-owner of a company, bonds are loans that pay fixed interest, and funds are baskets of many shares or bonds. Higher possible return comes with higher risk. Spreading money across many investments (diversification) and staying invested for many years (compounding) are the two safest habits.
- The Stock Market: How Shares Are Bought and Sold – A share is a small piece of ownership in a company. A company raises money by selling new shares in an IPO (primary market). After that, investors trade shares with each other on a stock exchange (secondary market) through brokers; shares are held in demat accounts at a depository, and a regulator such as SEBI or the SEC protects investors. The price is set by buy and sell orders meeting in the order book: more buyers push it up, more sellers push it down. An index (Nifty 50, S&P 500, WIG20) tracks a basket of big companies. Investors can also buy bonds, treasury bills and fund units. Shares are risky, so diversify, think long term and avoid behavioural traps such as herd behaviour, panic selling and overconfidence.
- Consumer Protection – Consumer protection means guarding buyers against unfair practices such as fake goods, short weight, overcharging and misleading ads. It matters to both consumers and businesses. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 gives six rights (safety, information, choice, to be heard, redressal, consumer education), expects consumers to act responsibly, says who may complain, and sets up a three-tier system: District (up to ₹50 lakh), State (up to ₹2 crore) and National Commission (above ₹2 crore). Remedies include repair, replacement, refund and compensation. Consumer organisations and NGOs educate and help consumers.
2. Labour market and employment
How the labour market works · Career and job search · Employment terms and ethics
- The Labour Market – The labour market is where workers sell their time and skills and employers buy them. Firms demand labour because people buy their products (derived demand). Workers supply labour, and more people offer work at higher wages. The wage settles where demand meets supply. A minimum wage above that level can raise pay but may cut jobs. Trade unions, a single big employer (monopsony), skills, discrimination and new technology all change wages and jobs.
- Career Planning: From Knowing Yourself to Your First Job – Career planning has five steps. 1) Know yourself: interests, skills and values. 2) Explore career families and find out the work, study needed, pay and demand. 3) Plan a pathway with SMART goals and a plan B. 4) Search for jobs with a CV, cover letter, digital portfolio and interview practice. 5) Make the move from school to work and keep learning, because careers change over a lifetime.
- Employment Law: The Rules of Working for Someone – Employment law is the set of rules for the relationship between an employer and an employee. An employment contract exists when a person does work, for pay, under the employer's direction (subordination). Contracts may be permanent, fixed-term, temporary through an agency, part-time or telework; a civil-law or freelance contract is not employment. Employees have rights (at least the minimum wage, limited hours, rest and paid leave, a safe workplace, equal treatment, freedom from harassment) and duties (careful work, following lawful instructions, loyalty, safety rules). Employers can organise work and discipline, within the law. Pay is gross before tax and social insurance and net after; the employer's total cost is higher. Trade unions negotiate collective agreements. A contract ends by resignation, dismissal with a valid reason and fair procedure, mutual agreement or the end of a fixed term.