10 days of additional leave and the right not to go to the office after shelling – employees request new labor guarantees
A petition has appeared on the Cabinet of Ministers' website, whose author proposes introducing additional guarantees for employees under martial law conditions.
The appeal states that Ukrainians live in a state of full-scale war, regularly face air raid alerts and missile strikes, are often forced to spend nights in shelters, suffer from lack of sleep and constant stress, yet still go to work in the morning.
The petition author emphasizes that such conditions negatively affect the physical and mental health of employees, increase the risk of road accidents, contribute to professional burnout, and reduce overall labor productivity.
It is also noted in the appeal that a significant number of professions can be performed remotely without loss of efficiency, but employers do not always allow this work format, requiring mandatory presence in the office even when there is no production necessity.
Proposed legislative changes
The petition proposes amending Ukrainian legislation to provide the following guarantees for employees during martial law:
- establish the priority of remote work in cases where job duties can be performed remotely without harm to the enterprise, with in-person presence required only when objectively necessary;
- grant employees the right to switch to temporary remote work after massive missile or drone attacks, prolonged night air raid alerts, or other events affecting safety and rest opportunities;
- introduce additional paid leave during martial law lasting up to 10 calendar days per year as a measure to support physical and mental health;
- oblige employers to provide employees with shelters that meet safety requirements or conclude agreements for the use of the nearest available shelters with guaranteed access during alerts;
- grant the right to a flexible start of the workday after prolonged night air raid alerts or massive attacks if it does not interfere with job duties;
- introduce state incentives for employers who implement remote work formats and ensure safe working conditions.
Expected effect
The petition author believes that implementing such changes can contribute to:
- preserving the lives and health of employees;
- reducing stress levels and professional burnout;
- increasing labor productivity;
- reducing the number of trips during periods of increased danger;
- forming a more modern and socially oriented policy of population support during the war.
The appeal also notes that supporting employees during wartime is an important component of the state's and its economy's resilience, as it allows people to work more effectively and provide for their families even under war conditions.
The petition is addressed to the President of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers, and the Verkhovna Rada with a request to support the initiative and begin preparing the relevant legislative changes.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel t.me/sudua and to Google News SUD.UA, as well as to our VIBER and WhatsApp, our pages on Facebook and Instagram to stay informed about the most important events.
