Feminine job titles in HR documentation: how to correctly designate positions held by female employees

Feminine forms in HR documents may be used, but are not mandatory. The Classification of Occupations allows a professional job title to be adapted to indicate the female gender of a specific employee: for example, «інженер» (engineer) — «інженерка» (female engineer), «соціолог» (sociologist) — «соціологиня» (female sociologist). Therefore, an employer is not required to rename the positions of all female employees or revise HR documents solely because the regulations allow feminine forms.

For HR records and reporting, it is important to maintain the link with the basic professional job title and its code under DK 003:2010. In the current Appendix D5 to the Tax Calculation, the professional job title and occupation code are selected from the directory corresponding to the Classification of Occupations DK 003:2010, while the employee’s actual position title is specified separately. Therefore, the safest approach for a business is not to change staff position titles without necessity, but to use a feminine form in the documents of a specific female employee at her request, ensuring consistent spelling across related HR documents.

What are feminine forms?

Feminine forms are feminine-gender nouns derived from masculine names for persons. In HR matters, this primarily concerns the names of occupations, positions, and types of work: director — female director, designer — female designer, salesperson — saleswoman, sociologist — female sociologist.

The current State Language Standard «Ukrainian Orthography» provides for the formation of such names using the suffixes -к-(а), -иц-(я), -ин-(я), -ес-(а) and others. The most commonly used suffix is -к-(а): авторка, дизайнерка, директорка, редакторка. The suffix -иц-(я) is used, in particular, with stems ending in -ник and -ень: верстальниця, набірниця, учениця. The suffix -ин-(я) is used in words such as кравчиня, продавчиня, майстриня. The suffix -ес-(а) is rarely used: поетеса, патронеса.

Is it mandatory to use feminine forms in position titles?

No.

The National Classification DK 003:2010 «Classification of Occupations» establishes that professional job titles are generally given in the masculine gender. At the same time, where necessary, the professional job title in the HR documentation of an individual female employee may be adapted to indicate the female gender.

The Classification itself provides the following examples:

• інженер — інженерка (engineer — female engineer);

• верстатник широкого профілю — верстатниця широкого профілю (general-purpose machine operator — female general-purpose machine operator);

• соціолог — соціологиня (sociologist — female sociologist).

This is a right, not an obligation of the employer or the female employee. The National Commission for State Language Standards has also officially clarified that the use of feminine forms to designate occupations, positions, and titles is not established as mandatory: whether to use them is a matter of choice.

Therefore, there is no rule requiring an enterprise to replace «бухгалтер» with «бухгалтерка», «менеджер» with «менеджерка», or «директор» with «директорка» for all female employees.

What changed in Ukrainian orthography in 2026?

Previous explanations concerning feminine forms often referred to Resolution No. 437 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated May 22, 2019, which approved the relevant edition of Ukrainian Orthography.

This Resolution ceased to be effective on March 28, 2026. It was repealed by Resolution No. 398 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated March 27, 2026.

Instead, since March 28, 2026, the State Language Standard «Ukrainian Orthography», approved by Decision No. 47 of the National Commission for State Language Standards dated March 1, 2026, has been in effect. The Commission has the authority to approve orthography in accordance with Articles 43–44 of the Law of Ukraine «On Ensuring the Functioning of Ukrainian as the State Language».

Fundamentally, nothing has changed regarding feminine forms: § 32 of the current 2026 Orthography retains the rules for their formation. The National Commission separately stated that the editorial changes introduced in 2026 did not alter the orthographic rules.

Therefore, the reference in the Classification of Occupations to orthographic rules remains clear in substance, although Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 437 mentioned in the text of Amendment No. 9 is no longer in force. The Classification’s permission to adapt professional job titles for female employees has not been removed.

Which Classification of Occupations should be used?

DK 003:2010 continues to be used in practice for HR records and reporting. Following Amendment No. 9, the Classification was repeatedly supplemented: Amendments No. 15 and No. 16 were approved in 2025, and Amendment No. 17 was approved by Order No. 4946 of the Ministry of Economy dated April 14, 2026.

At the same time, labor legislation provides for a Unified Register of Qualifications — Classification of Occupations. Article 4-1 of the Labor Code of Ukraine defines it as an automated system containing information on occupations, types of work, and qualifications. The procedure for the operation of this Register was approved by Resolution No. 1387 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated October 29, 2025, which entered into force on May 2, 2026. The Register is administered by the National Qualifications Agency.

At the same time, the Register itself provides for displaying the occupation code under DK 003:2010, and its official website states that it is operating in pilot mode. In addition, the current D5 HR reporting form continues to refer directly to DK 003:2010. Therefore, an enterprise should not independently stop using the codes and professional job titles under DK 003:2010.

Where can a feminine form be used?

The practical approach depends on the specific document.

The rule concerning entries in paper employment record books must be applied together with the current Article 48 of the Labor Code of Ukraine. The employment record book is kept by the employee, and the employer is required to make entries on hiring, transfer, and dismissal at the employee’s request. Clause 2.14 of Instruction No. 58 requires the name of the job, occupation, or position to correspond to the Classification of Occupations.

How should feminine forms be reflected in Appendix D5?

The old rule concerning Table 5 of the Unified Social Contribution report is no longer relevant. Information on the commencement and termination of employment relationships, transfers, and other HR events is submitted in Appendix D5 to the Tax Calculation.

The current version of the Procedure for completing the Tax Calculation establishes that:

• columns 13 and 14 — the professional job title and occupation code are selected from the directory corresponding to DK 003:2010;

• column 15 — specifies the position title corresponding to the entry in the employment record book;

• column 16 — specifies the supporting document for the relevant HR event.

This means that the use of a feminine form does not require the creation of a new occupation code.

For example, if the basic professional job title under the Classification is «бухгалтер» (accountant), while the form «бухгалтерка» (female accountant) is lawfully used for a specific female employee in HR documents, the code of the corresponding occupation does not change. In the classification field of D5, the professional job title from the DK 003:2010 directory is used, while the actual position title must correspond to the employee’s HR documentation.

Therefore, there is no need to wait until all feminine forms appear as separate entries in the occupational directory. The Classification allows the title of a specific occupation to be adapted; it does not create a separate occupation and a separate code for each feminine form.

Is it necessary to reissue documents for women who are already employed?

No. There is no mandatory mass reissuance requirement.

If a female employee is already registered as «бухгалтер» (accountant), «менеджер» (manager), «юрист» (lawyer), «інженер» (engineer), or under another professional job title that complies with the Classification, these documents remain valid. The absence of a feminine form does not make the position title incorrect.

If a female employee wants a feminine form to be used in her HR documents, the Ministry of Economy, in its official explanations, permits the relevant rules to be applied at the employee’s request and expressly states that one option for documenting such a request may be a written application.

For the employer, this is also a convenient way to avoid a situation in which the position title is changed unilaterally.

How to formalize a title change for a specific female employee

An appropriate sequence is as follows:

1. The female employee submits an application requesting that the corresponding occupation title be used in the feminine gender.

2. The employer verifies the basic professional job title and its code under DK 003:2010.

3. The feminine form is created in accordance with § 32 of the State Language Standard «Ukrainian Orthography».

4. The employer issues an HR order on the use of the corresponding title for the specific female employee.

5. Where necessary, the title is aligned in the written employment agreement or contract, job description, and other personal HR documents.

6. If the female employee requests the corresponding entry in her paper employment record book, the employer makes it in accordance with the HR order.

7. When submitting D5, the basic professional job title and code are selected from the classification directory, while the actual position title is specified in accordance with the HR documents.

Why positions should not be renamed en masse at the employer’s initiative

The Labor Code of Ukraine classifies a change in position titles as a change in essential working conditions. In its explanation dated June 23, 2026, the State Labor Service also states that changing the name of an occupation or position requires compliance with Article 32 of the Labor Code of Ukraine.

Therefore, an enterprise should not issue a single order and mechanically replace «директорів» with «директорок», «менеджерів» with «менеджерок», etc. for all female employees. The law does not require this, while unnecessary HR changes create additional paperwork and a risk of discrepancies between the staffing schedule, HR orders, employment record books, and reporting.

If the use of a feminine form is initiated by a specific female employee, a documented request provides the employer with a much clearer basis for changing her personal HR documents.

Special attention to occupations that entitle employees to benefits and compensation

For occupations, positions, and jobs to which legislation links special benefits, compensation, entitlement to preferential pension provision, or other special guarantees, the title must be documented with particular care.

The Ministry of Economy points out that a professional job title that does not comply with the Classification may have negative consequences when confirming entitlement to benefits and compensation. In its official explanation, the Ministry recommends taking such possible consequences into account when applying feminine forms at a female employee’s request.

Therefore, for positions with preferential conditions, it is advisable to maintain the clearest possible link with the basic professional job title and Classification code and not to use arbitrary titles that cannot be unambiguously matched with the corresponding occupation.

Example

In the Classification of Occupations, the basic title is «інженер» (engineer). A female employee asks for the form «інженерка» (female engineer) to be used for her.

The Classification directly provides «інженер — інженерка» as an acceptable example of adapting a professional job title. The female employee may formalize the relevant request by submitting an application. The employer uses the feminine form in her personal HR documents, but the occupation does not become a different one: the Classification code remains the code of the corresponding professional job title «інженер».

In March 2026, the National Commission for State Language Standards separately confirmed at the official level that the use of feminine forms for occupations and positions is permitted but not mandatory.

What employers should remember

Feminine forms are permitted in Ukrainian HR documentation. However, this does not mean that all position titles of female employees must be changed immediately.

The professional job title and the code of the corresponding occupation remain the basis of HR records. A feminine form is a permitted linguistic adaptation of this title for a specific female employee, not a new occupation.

The lowest risk arises when an enterprise:

• checks the basic professional job title and code in the current Classification;

• does not rename positions en masse without necessity;

• uses a feminine form for a specific female employee at her request;

• forms the title correctly in accordance with the current Ukrainian Orthography;

• ensures consistency across HR documents;

• uses classification titles and codes in the relevant D5 fields;

• takes particular care when documenting occupations whose titles affect entitlement to benefits, compensation, or special guarantees.

Official sources

1. Labor Code of Ukraine No. 322-VIII — Article 4-1 concerning the Unified Register of Qualifications — Classification of Occupations; Article 48 concerning employment record books. Labor Code of Ukraine on the Verkhovna Rada website

2. National Classification of Ukraine DK 003:2010 «Classification of Occupations», approved by Order No. 327 of the State Committee of Ukraine for Technical Regulation and Consumer Policy dated July 28, 2010; Section 3 «General Provisions». Classification of Occupations DK 003:2010

3. Order No. 1574 of the Ministry of Economy dated August 18, 2020 «On Approval of Amendment No. 9 to the National Classification DK 003:2010» — the rule allowing professional job titles to be adapted to indicate the female gender of an employee. Amendment No. 9 to the Classification of Occupations

4. Order No. 4946 of the Ministry of Economy dated April 14, 2026, Amendment No. 17 to DK 003:2010 — current amendments to the Classification of Occupations. Official page of the Ministry of Economy

5. Law of Ukraine «On Ensuring the Functioning of Ukrainian as the State Language» No. 2704-VIII — Articles 43–44 concerning the National Commission for State Language Standards and its authority to approve orthography. Law No. 2704-VIII

6. Decision No. 47 of the National Commission for State Language Standards dated March 1, 2026 «On Approval of Ukrainian Orthography as the State Language Standard»; State Language Standard «Ukrainian Orthography», § 32, paragraph 4. Decision No. 47 and current Ukrainian Orthography

7. Resolution No. 398 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated March 27, 2026 — declared Resolution No. 437 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated May 22, 2019 no longer effective. Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 398

8. Resolution No. 1387 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated October 29, 2025 «Certain Issues Concerning the Operation of the Unified Register of Qualifications — Classification of Occupations» — paragraphs 1–3 and the Procedure for creating, amending, and maintaining the Register; effective from May 2, 2026. Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1387

9. Order No. 58 of the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Social Protection dated July 29, 1993 «On Approval of the Instruction on the Procedure for Maintaining Employees’ Employment Record Books» — paragraph 2.14 concerning compliance of professional job titles with the Classification of Occupations. Instruction No. 58

10. Order No. 4 of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine dated January 13, 2015, as currently amended, including the 2026 amendments, — the Procedure for completing the Tax Calculation and Appendix D5; columns 13–15 concerning the professional job title, Classification code, and actual position title. Order No. 4 of the Ministry of Finance and the current Tax Calculation form

11. Ministry of Economy of Ukraine — «Classification of Occupations: User Assistance» — official explanation concerning the use of feminine forms at a female employee’s request, the possibility of documenting such a request by an application, and the need to take into account entitlements to benefits and compensation. Ministry of Economy explanation concerning the Classification of Occupations