Main points
- From March 14, Ukraine will introduce new rules for suspending employment contracts during martial law with a maximum period of 90 days.
- The new Labor Code, adopted on January 7, is aimed at reforming the labor market and adapting it to modern conditions, including increasing inclusivity.
From March 14, working conditions for employees will change / sitarchuk.com.ua
Ukraine has rewritten the rules for businesses and employees during martial law. Starting March 14, the procedure for suspending employment contracts has changed – clear deadlines and new requirements are being introduced for employers.
How will the working conditions of employees change?
The main innovation is that it will no longer be possible to “freeze” an employment contract for an indefinite period, according to the Law of Ukraine.
If the initiative comes from one party – the employee or the employer – the maximum period of suspension will be 90 calendar days. This period can be extended only by mutual consent of both parties and only within the framework of martial law.
After the expiration of the established period, the contract is automatically renewed: the employee must return to work, and the employer must pay the salary again.
What is the procedure for reinstatement and dismissal?
If the company is ready to return to full-fledged operations before the end of 90 days, it must give the employee at least 14 calendar days' notice.
If, after the maximum period expires, a person cannot go to work, the contract may be terminated.
- In this case, the employer is obliged to pay in full – pay the outstanding salary, compensation for unused vacation, and other due amounts.
- The work book or its duplicate must be issued no later than the day after the employee's application.
In fact, the state sets clear boundaries: “pauses” in labor relations can no longer last indefinitely.
Why does Ukraine need a new Labor Code?
The current Labor Code was created more than half a century ago and was oriented towards the economy of that time, and the main tasks of the new one will be adaptation to realities and the extension of social protection to new forms of employment. About this in the commentary of Channel 24 said labor market expert Vasyl Voskoboynyk.
On January 7, the Government approved a draft of a new Labor Code, which is intended to initiate labor market reform . The changes envisaged by the updated code are aimed at removing employment from the shadows and attracting more people to formal employment.
Vasyl Voskoboynyk
Head of the Migration Policy Office, President of the All-Ukrainian Association of International Employment Companies
The current Labor Code was written during the Soviet Union, it was adapted to the industrial economy, to clearly understood processes that were subject to classification at that time. Now times are changing, remote work is being introduced, new forms of employment are emerging, contracts are emerging. At the same time, the number of working-age population is significantly decreasing due to demographic problems and migration. The actual goal of the new Labor Code will be to promote maximum employment of people.
As Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko noted, the new Labor Code is needed to implement the Employment Strategy until 2030, and the key emphasis will be on increasing the inclusiveness of the labor market and greater involvement of youth, women, people with disabilities, and veterans.
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