Artykuł, na tle ogólnej charakterystyki prawa karnego pracy i jego subsydiarności wobec prawa regulującego prawa pracownika, przedstawia przedmiot i podmiot ochrony oraz typy przestępstw regulowanych przez art. 218 kodeksu karnego. Na podstawie wyroku Trybunału Konstytucyjnego omawia też zasadę zakazu podwójnego karania w tej samej sprawie.
This article discusses the criminal law responsibility for the infringement of the rights of employees under Article 218 of the Penal Code in the light of the decision of the Constitutional Tribunal of 18 November 2010 considered ultima ratio. The article presents types of offences (misdemeanours) covered by this article of the Penal Code, which include: malicious or persistent infringement of the rights of employees, failure to comply with a legally binding court decision ordering employee reinstatement or the payment of remuneration or other benefits to the employee. These provisions ensure the protection of individual legal interests, which indicates their great importance because offences against the rights of employees are serious offences that infringe the constitutional principle of social equity. Recent police statistics reveal that there is a growing awareness of the importance of respecting the rights of employees since the number of such offences decreases year by year [28].