Basic Facts

Ukraine is a country located in eastern Europe; the second largest on the continent after Russia. A fully independent Ukraine emerged only late in the 20th century, after long periods of successive domination by Poland-Lithuania, Russia, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). Ethnic Ukrainians make up more than three-fourths of the population. Russians continue to be the largest minority.

 

*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Ukraine.

Capital :
Kyiv (Kiev)
Currency :
Hryvnia (UAH, ₴)
Languages spoken :
Ukrainian
Population :
43.81 million (2021 est.)
Minimum wage 2023 :
7,100 UAH Monthly
Cost of Living index :
$ (121 of 139 countries)
Payroll Frequency :
Bi-monthly
VAT - standard rate :
20% (with exceptions)
GDP - real growth rate :
3.4% (2021 est.)

Statutory Holidays

The national holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2024.

Date
Holiday Name
Extra Information
January 1
New Year Holiday
January 7-8
Orthodox Christmas Holidays
March 8
International Women’s Day
May 1
Labor Day
May 5-6
Easter Holidays
Movable - As per Orthodox Calendar
May 9
Victory Day
June 23-24
Orthodox Whit Sunday and Monday
Movable - As per Orthodox Calendar - In lieu
June 28
Constitution Day
July 15
Ukrainian Statehood Day
August 24-26
Independence Day of Ukraine
Taken in Lieu
October 1
Ukraine Defender Day
December 25
Catholic Christmas Day

Contract Sharing Time


The approximate time for sharing the contract with an employee in Ukraine is 5 business days assuming no special requests or changes to our standard employment contract. Any such requests or changes would need to undergo internal and external review, directly leading to a time delay.

NOTE: This number is subject to change and is only an estimation of the Contract Sharing Time. The estimated Contract Sharing Time begins from the moment that WorkMotion has received all required information from both the client and the employee.

What You Need To Know


  • Pensionable age is reduced for hero mothers defined to include mothers of five or more children, those who responded to the Chernobyl incident, or who have cared for congenitally disabled children.

  • Employers need to make one comprehensive monthly contribution that equals 22% of payroll to a unified social insurance fund

Labor Conditions


Working Hours

The normal working hours of employees may not exceed 40 hours per week. Employees are entitled to rest breaks not exceeding two hours. A break is not included in working time. In general, a rest break will be provided four hours after the beginning of work.

 

Overtime

The employer may use overtime work only in exceptional cases. Overtime work should not exceed four hours for each employee for two consecutive days and 120 hours per year. On weekdays, overtime pay is calculated at double the hourly wage. It cannot be compensated by providing an additional day of rest. Working on days of rest is paid at double the hourly wage or by providing another day of rest in lieu. 

 

Probation Period

The probationary period for employment, unless otherwise provided by the legislation of Ukraine, may not exceed three months, and in some cases, in agreement with the relevant elected body of the primary trade union organization – six months. The probationary period for hiring workers may not exceed one month.

 

Termination Notice Period
Condition Notice Period
By the employee Within 2 weeks
By the employer during probation 3 days
By the employer 2 months

Leave / Time Off

Annual Leave

Annual basic leave is granted to employees for at least 24 calendar days for the completed working year, which is calculated from the date of conclusion of the employment contract. Persons under 18 years of age are granted 31 days’ annual leave while certain other categories of workers, like those employed in hazardous conditions, may also be given additional days as per regulations. Further, participants in hostilities, victims of the Revolution of Dignity, persons with disabilities as a result of war, and some other categories of employees are provided with additional leave with pay lasting 14 calendar days a year.

Sick Leave

The government pays for the entire Sick Benefits with no contribution required from the employer apart from the first five days of the sick leave. After four months of sick leave, the employee may be terminated. The sick leave is provided on the basis of a valid medical certificate. 

Parental Leave

After the maternity leave period ends, mothers/fathers/grandparents can take parental leave until the child reaches the age of three years old. Funding for child care until the child reaches the age of three, is provided by state social insurance funds.

 

Vacation on the Birth of a Child

One-time paid leave at the birth of a child lasting up to 14 calendar days (excluding holidays and non-working days) is provided to only one of the following employees, namely::

  • A husband whose wife has given birth to a child (also called the paternity leave and mentioned in the paternity leave section);
  • The child’s father, who is not in a registered marriage with the child’s mother, provided that they live together, are related by common life, have mutual rights and obligations (also called the paternity leave and mentioned in the paternity leave section);
  • Grandparents, or other adult relatives of the child, who actually care for the child, whose mother or father is a single parent.

This leave is fully paid for by the employer.

 

Maternity Leave

On the basis of a medical opinion, women are granted a paid maternity leave of the following duration:

Event Days Other Conditions
Before childbirth 70 calendar days
After childbirth 56 calendar days 70 calendar days – in case of birth of two or more children and in case of complications of childbirth), starting from the day of childbirth..
Total 126 140

90 days before and 90 days after the expected date of childbirth are provided for women injured in the Chernobyl disaster.

Funding for maternity benefits is provided from the state social insurance funds.

 

Paternity Leave

A one-time paid leave of 14 days is given to the birth father or the partner living with the mother. A person who has received leave at the birth of a child is obliged to provide the employer with proof of birth within 30 calendar days from the date of such leave. 

 

Adoption Leave

A person who has adopted a child from among orphans or children deprived of parental care is granted a one-time paid leave in connection with the adoption of a child lasting 56 calendar days (70 calendar days – for the adoption of two or more children). Adoptive or birth parents with a disabled child are to be provided with 10 additional annual paid leave.

Other Types of Paid Leave

Creative Leave

Creative leave is granted to employees to complete dissertations, write textbooks, and in other cases provided by law. Vacation for training and participation in competitions is provided to employees who participate in national and international sports competitions. The duration, procedure, and conditions for granting and paying for these leave is established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. For the period of trade union training, elected employees are provided with additional paid leave lasting up to six calendar days. This leave is paid for by the employer entirely.

 

Study Leave

Employees who receive general secondary education, vocational education,, higher education, and diploma training are provided additional leave. 

Unpaid Leave

Due to family circumstances and other reasons, the employee may be granted unpaid leave for a period stipulated in the agreement between the employee and the owner or their authorized body, but not more than 15 calendar days per year.

Leave without pay at the request of the employee is granted in a mandatory manner for many reasons including marriage, death of relatives, persons with disabilities, among others ranging from three to 60 days in a year.

Statutory Benefits

Employers need to make one comprehensive monthly contribution that equals 22% of payroll to a unified social insurance fund that covers pension, accident, temporary disability, and unemployment benefits. Employees do not make any contributions.

Health Insurance

There is no statutory state health insurance for employees or any employer contributions. Government health providers offer medical services directly to patients. Benefits include preventive, general, specialist, dental, and maternity care, hospitalization, laboratory services, and transportation.

Other Insurances

Accident Insurance

The 22% of the contribution made for social security by employers includes the contribution made for work injuries. The beneficiary must be assessed with a work injury or occupational disease. Permanent and temporary disability benefits, survivor benefits, and a death grant are paid to beneficiaries.

 

Unemployment Insurance

 

Unemployed people are supported by the USC mentioned in the statutory benefits section. This mainly consists of unemployment benefits and training programs, which aim to help individuals gain new qualifications and find new employment. 

The beneficiary must have:

  • At least 26 weeks of work in the 12 months before unemployment began;
  • Be registered at an employment office;
  • Be able and willing to work; and
  • Have income less than the legal monthly minimum wage. 

Public Pension

The old-age pension is for beneficiaries of age 60 with at least 35 years of coverage (men) or age 60 (women) with at least 30 years of coverage. The retirement age of 50 years is set for hero-mothers who have raised five or more children, five to 10 years prior to pensionable age mothers who have cared for congenitally disabled children miners, and persons who responded to the Chernobyl accident and those equated to them.

It is also possible to receive a partial or deferred pension in certain conditions. 

Other Statutory Benefits

Funeral Grant

 

The contribution is made under the universal social security contribution mentioned in the statutory benefits section. It is paid when an employee, student, unemployed person, or their dependent; or a pensioner including a military pensioner, dies.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this Country Guide is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. The contents of this Country Guide contain general information and may not reflect current legal developments or address your situation. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this Country Guide without seeking the advice or representation of a licensed attorney. WorkMotion Software GmbH disclaims all liability for actions you take or fail to take based on any content included in this Country Guide.

Information provided in this Country Guide is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including without limitation warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. WorkMotion Software GmbH periodically adds, changes, improves, updates, or removes information without notice, and assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the contents of this Country Guide. This Country Guide may contain links to other websites. WorkMotion Software GmbH disclaims all liability for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.