Store employees during martial law: schedules, pay, leave, and suspension of the employment contract

During martial law, a store owner must document transfers, changes to schedules and pay, and keep records of the time actually worked. For an ordinary store, normal working hours remain capped at 40 hours per week. A transfer to another job generally requires the employee’s consent, and the employer must notify employees of changes to essential working conditions before they take effect. Night and overtime hours must be paid with the required premiums.

Separate wartime rules apply to leave: the employer may limit annual basic leave for the current working year to 24 calendar days, but must observe the protections for minors and people with disabilities. An employment contract may be suspended only when armed aggression makes it impossible for both parties to perform their obligations. Unilateral suspension is allowed for a total of up to 90 calendar days; a longer period requires the parties’ consent.

First, determine what is changing

Before issuing an order, the store owner or manager must describe the reason for the change and its effect on the specific employee. Check the employment contract, job duties, current schedule, pay terms, and documents relating to benefits or medical restrictions. Also determine whether the parties voluntarily use the simplified regime under Article 49-5 of the Labour Code of Ukraine (LCU). Check that there is a written employment contract in the state language, in two copies, or an electronic contract agreed by the parties. It must specify the essential terms required by Article 49-6, including pay, working and rest schedules, and how leave is granted. This regime is available, among others, to small or medium-sized businesses with an average of up to 250 employees, inclusive, during the calendar year. For matters covered by the employment contract under this regime, the law exempts the employer from requirements concerning HR documentation and local regulations. Employment records and reporting remain mandatory; document a contract suspension in accordance with the special requirements of Law No. 2136-IX.

A decline in sales alone does not establish grounds to suspend an employment contract. If the sales assistant can work and the store has work available, the owner must choose a measure that fits the actual circumstances: agree on part-time hours, change how work is organized, or document another arrangement provided by law.

How to transfer an employee or change their working conditions

Transfer with the employee’s consent

An employer cannot require work that is not covered by the employment contract. For example, whether a sales assistant can be permanently assigned the duties of a stock handler must be assessed against the agreed job duties. To move an employee to another position, obtain their consent and agree on pay, workplace, start date, and the duration if the transfer is temporary.

Moving an employee to another workplace or department in the same locality does not require consent if the work remains within the specialty, qualifications, or position specified in the contract. An employer may not move someone to work that is medically contraindicated. If essential working conditions also change, document those changes as well.

For a permanent transfer to a lower-paid job, preserve the employee’s previous average earnings for two weeks from the date of transfer. If earnings decrease for reasons beyond the employee’s control because of a relocation, top them up to the previous average earnings for two months.

When a transfer without consent is allowed

Article 3 of Law No. 2136-IX allows an employee to be transferred without consent only to prevent or address the consequences of hostilities or other circumstances that threaten people’s lives or normal living conditions. The work must be suitable for the employee’s health. This provision does not allow an employee to be transferred without consent to another locality where active hostilities are taking place.

In the order, specify the particular threat, the work required, the location, the start date, and the pay terms. Pay for work performed must be no less than the average earnings for the employee’s previous job. A routine shortage of sales staff or a desire to cut costs does not establish this ground.

Separately, Article 33 of the LCU provides for a temporary transfer without consent for up to one month to prevent or address emergencies, with a guarantee of average earnings. Under this article, pregnant women, women with a child under six or a child with a disability, and minors may be transferred only with their consent. State in the order the specific legal ground that applies to the situation.

Changing the schedule, salary, or part-time hours

Essential working conditions include, among other things, the pay system and amount, work schedule, part-time hours, and combination of professions. An employer may change them while continuing the employee in the same position, where the changes result from changes in the organization of production and work. Explain in the documents what is changing in the store’s operations and why the previous terms cannot be maintained.

1. Prepare the new terms: working hours and days, pay, start date, and the duration of temporary changes.
2. Notify the employee before the changes take effect. During martial law, the two-month notice period under Articles 32 and 103 of the LCU is replaced by this shorter period.
3. Keep proof of notice and the employee’s response.
4. Issue an order and update the schedule and documents that set pay and working arrangements.
5. Give the accountant the new terms and the date they take effect.

If the previous essential working conditions cannot be maintained and the employee refuses to continue working under the new terms, the contract may be terminated under clause 6 of Article 36 of the LCU. Severance pay must be at least one month’s average earnings. Document the ground and the employee’s refusal. On the dismissal date, give the employee a copy of the dismissal order and written notice of the amounts accrued and paid. List each type of payment separately in the notice; on the actual payment date, also notify the employee in writing of the amounts accrued and paid, as required by Article 116 of the LCU. As a general rule, final settlement is made on the dismissal date; if the employee did not work that day, it must be made no later than the day after the employee requests settlement. Also pay any compensation due for unused leave.

A shorter workday or workweek may be established by agreement between the parties. Pay is proportional to time worked or depends on output. However, the employee’s employment rights, including the right to leave, are not reduced. At the request of a pregnant woman, a woman with a child under 14 or a child with a disability, or a woman caring for a sick family member as confirmed by a medical certificate, the employer must establish part-time hours. The corresponding protections also apply to persons specified in Article 186-1 of the LCU.

Illustrative example: the salary for a full monthly workload is UAH 20,000. If an employee agrees to half that workload and works all of it, base pay will be UAH 20,000 × 0.5 = UAH 10,000 before deductions. The accountant checks premiums and other payments due separately.

How to set the store’s work schedule

For employees of an ordinary store, normal working hours may not exceed 40 hours per week. The right to increase them to 60 hours applies to employees working at critical infrastructure facilities. Selling essential goods alone does not establish the right to use this exception.

For employees at such facilities who are legally entitled to reduced working hours, the wartime limit is 40 hours per week. If the employer lawfully increases the norm under Article 6 of Law No. 2136-IX, pay must increase proportionally. For example, with an illustrative salary of UAH 20,000 for a 40-hour week, increasing the norm to 60 hours gives UAH 20,000 × 60 ÷ 40 = UAH 30,000. This calculation applies only where there is a legal ground for the increased norm.

The working-hours norm for minors cannot be increased under this wartime exception. A 36-hour week applies to those aged 16 to 18, and a 24-hour week to those aged 15 to 16; additional restrictions for students apply under Article 51 of the LCU.

The employer sets a five-day or six-day week and the start and end of each shift. With a five-day week, provide two days off; with a six-day week, provide one. Reducing the weekly uninterrupted rest period to 24 hours does not change this number of days off. Under the standard regime, set out the work schedule in the internal labour regulations and schedules, and inform employees of them. Under the simplified regime, check the relevant terms of the employment contract: for matters it covers, Article 49-5 of the LCU exempts the employer from requirements concerning certain local regulations and HR documents. If there is a trade union body, obtain its agreement to the schedules where required by Articles 52, 67, and 69 of the LCU. Under a standard six-day week, daily work may not exceed 7 hours for a 40-hour weekly norm, 6 hours for a 36-hour norm, and 4 hours for a 24-hour norm. If you introduce summarized working time accounting, document it under Article 61 of the LCU. The schedule must include time spent opening and closing the cash register, preparing the sales floor, and performing other required tasks assigned by the employer.

• Provide a break for rest and meals of up to two hours, usually four hours after work begins. The employee may use the break at their discretion and leave the workplace; this break is not working time. If working conditions make a separate break impossible, allow employees to eat during paid working time. The employer sets the list of such jobs, the procedure, and the place for meals in agreement with the trade union body.
• Allow a break between shifts of at least twice the duration of the preceding shift, including the meal break. Working two shifts in a row is prohibited.
• The weekly uninterrupted rest period may be reduced from 42 to 24 hours. This reduction does not apply to minors.
• Record actual hours and separately mark night work, overtime, downtime, leave, and other periods of absence.

If the nature of the work makes it impossible to meet daily or weekly limits, summarized working time accounting may be introduced under Article 61 of the LCU. This means the employer checks compliance with the norm over a defined accounting period, such as a month. Document the arrangement and the accounting period, and obtain any required agreement with the trade union body if one exists. The schedule must fit within the hours allowed for the period, and the accountant must pay any actual excess as overtime.

Public holidays and an employee’s scheduled day off

During martial law, Article 73 of the LCU on public holidays and non-working days does not apply. The reduction of working hours on the eve of such days under Article 53 and the automatic transfer of days off under parts three to five of Article 67 also do not apply. Therefore, a calendar public holiday by itself does not create a right to double pay.

An employee’s scheduled day off retains its meaning. Do not assign minors, pregnant women, or women with children under three to work on that day. Observe the family protections for persons covered by Article 186-1 of the LCU as well. If a sales assistant is assigned to work on their scheduled day off, the parties agree on another rest day or monetary compensation under Articles 72 and 107 of the LCU. For monetary compensation, pay an employee on an hourly or daily rate at double the rate, and a piece-rate employee at double the piece rate. For an employee with a monthly salary, pay for the actual hours worked at the single hourly or daily rate on top of the salary if the work is within the monthly norm, and at double the rate on top of the salary if it exceeds the norm. Record the work and the agreed form of compensation. Sunday may be an ordinary working day for a sales assistant. For a store whose work cannot stop on the general day off because it serves the public, take into account the local council’s authority to set days off under Article 68 of the LCU. If continuous service to the public is required, give employees days off in rotation according to the shift schedule under Article 69 of the LCU.

Overtime: grounds, limits, and pay

Do not build overtime into the schedule as a regular way to cover staff shortages. Under the standard regime, Article 62 of the LCU permits overtime in specified exceptional cases, including urgent measures to deal with accidents, preventing property damage, or continuing work that cannot be interrupted when a replacement employee fails to show up. In the last case, the employer must immediately look for a replacement.

Before assigning overtime, identify the legal ground, check any restrictions that apply to the employee, and document the instruction. Under the standard regime, if there is a trade union body, obtain its permission under Article 64 of the LCU. Also inform it under Article 62: before overtime begins, or, in the cases under points 1 and 2 of part three of that article, by the next working day. If the parties use the simplified regime, Article 49-6 allows the employment contract to specify the grounds and procedure for overtime. Overtime under those terms does not require permission from the trade union body; pay must be no less than the guarantees under Article 106 of the LCU.

Pregnant women, women with children under three, minors, and employees studying at general secondary, vocational, professional pre-higher, or higher education institutions on class days may not be assigned overtime. Women with children aged three to 14 or a child with a disability may be assigned overtime only with their consent. Employees with disabilities require consent, and the work must comply with medical recommendations. Also observe the family protections under Article 186-1 of the LCU.

Wartime rules remove the limit on overtime hours under part one of Article 65 of the LCU, but the employer must record overtime for each employee. For hourly pay, overtime is paid at double the hourly rate. For piecework, add 100% of the applicable hourly tariff rate for each overtime hour. This pay cannot be replaced with time off.

Illustrative example: under summarized time accounting, the monthly norm was 176 hours, the employee actually worked 184 hours, and the hourly rate was UAH 100. Overtime is 184 − 176 = 8 hours. Overtime pay is 8 × UAH 100 × 2 = UAH 1,600 before deductions. The accountant determines the norm and actual hours from the schedule and the employee’s time records.

How to document and pay for night work

Night work is work between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. During martial law, the night shift does not have to be shortened by one hour under parts one and two of Article 54 of the LCU. Night hours must still be paid with a premium.

Article 8 of Law No. 2136-IX does not allow pregnant women, women with a child under one, or people with disabilities for whom night work is medically contraindicated to be assigned to night work without consent. For people with disabilities for whom night work is not contraindicated, also obtain consent: Article 55 of the LCU allows them to work at night only with consent and in compliance with medical recommendations. Do not assign minors to night work.

Before approving the schedule, check documents relating to these circumstances and obtain any required consent. The premium for each night hour must be at least 20% of the tariff rate or salary calculated per hour. A general, industry, or regional agreement and a collective agreement may set a higher rate; apply the requirements that cover your employer.

Illustrative example: a sales assistant worked from 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., with no unpaid break during the night period. Night hours are from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., or four hours. At a rate of UAH 100 and a 20% premium, the night-work premium is 4 × UAH 100 × 0.20 = UAH 80 before deductions. Add it to pay for the hours worked; the accountant checks any overtime separately.

When to pay wages

Pay wages at least twice a month, no more than 16 calendar days apart, and no later than seven days after the end of the period being paid. Under the standard regime, set the dates in the collective agreement or an employer regulation agreed with the trade union or another authorized representative body of the workforce. If there are no such bodies, agree on the regulation with representatives elected and authorized by the workforce. Under the simplified regime, set payment dates in the employment contract in compliance with Article 115 of the LCU. If a payment date falls on a day off, pay the day before. Pay for the first half of the month must be at least the amount due for actual time worked, calculated using the applicable rate or salary.

Martial law does not cancel wage debts. If hostilities or force majeure caused a delay, the employer must prove the connection to be released from liability for missing the deadline. The obligation to pay wages remains. If timely payment is impossible specifically because of hostilities, the law allows deferral until operations resume.

Keep documents showing the obstacle and the steps taken to make payment: bank notices, evidence that access to the premises or records was lost, and requests to restore operations. A routine lack of funds does not prove that hostilities caused the delay.

Annual leave: duration, documents, and deadlines

Ordinary annual basic leave is at least 24 calendar days for each working year worked. The working year runs from the date the employment contract is concluded. The minimum is 30 days for people with disabilities in groups I and II, 26 days for group III, and 31 days for minors.

At the employer’s discretion during martial law, annual basic leave for the current working year may be limited to 24 days. Record any days beyond this duration separately; the law provides for unused days to be carried over until after martial law is terminated or cancelled. During martial law, the employer may also grant these days without pay. This decision may not deprive minors and people with disabilities of paid days within the statutory minimum annual basic leave.

There is an important protection for minors and people with disabilities: days within the statutory minimum basic leave that exceed 24 days may not be granted without pay under the rule the Constitutional Court found unconstitutional. For example, a worker with a group III disability has a minimum of 26 days of paid basic leave; the two days above 24 remain paid. Check separately any limit on granting leave and the rules for paying its days.

Steps for the owner and accountant

The requirements below for a schedule and an order apply to the standard regime. Under the simplified regime, follow the leave procedure agreed in the employment contract and the exemption from separate documentation under Article 49-5 of the LCU. Observe applicable guarantees for notice, pay, and leave records.

1. Check the working year, leave accrual period, entitlement, and days already used. Part-time work counts toward service for annual basic leave.
2. Prepare and approve a leave schedule with any required agreement from the trade union or another authorized representative body. Inform employees of it.
3. Agree on specific dates. Notify the employee in writing of the start of annual leave no later than two weeks before the scheduled date.
4. Issue an order stating the type of leave, dates, number of calendar days, and the working year for which annual leave is being granted.
5. Give the order to the accountant. Pay leave pay for the entire period before the leave begins, unless otherwise provided by law, the employment contract, or the collective agreement.
6. Enter the leave in the time records and the register of used and unused days.

As a general rule, during the first year, the right to annual leave of full duration arises after six months of continuous work. Earlier leave is calculated proportionally to time worked. Article 10 of the Law on Leave provides exceptions, including for minors, people with disabilities, and certain family circumstances. It also identifies employees who may choose a convenient time for leave; account for these rights when preparing the schedule.

Under the standard regime, at the employee’s request, annual leave may be split if one uninterrupted part is at least 14 calendar days. If the parties use the simplified regime, Article 49-5 of the LCU allows leave to be split into periods of any duration at the employee’s request. During martial law, public holidays count as calendar days of leave because the rule excluding them is temporarily suspended.

If the employer misses the notice or leave-pay deadline, the employee may request that annual leave be rescheduled. If the employee is temporarily unable to work, as duly certified, annual leave must be rescheduled or extended. The same applies on other grounds under part two of Article 11 of the Law on Leave. Agree on the new dates with the employee. An employee may be recalled from leave only with their consent and only for reasons provided by law, including preventing an accident, downtime, or property damage. The need to cover for a sales assistant does not by itself give the employer unlimited recall rights.

When leave may be refused or granted without pay

During martial law, the employer may refuse to grant unused annual leave days. Certain general deadlines for using leave and bans on accumulating leave, expressly listed in Article 12 of Law No. 2136-IX, are temporarily suspended. Continue to record unused days. On dismissal, pay compensation for all annual leave and additional leave for employees with children that remain due and unused, under Article 24 of the Law on Leave.

The third paragraph of part one of Article 12 of Law No. 2136-IX allows the employer to decide to grant other leave without pay beyond the basic leave provided by that Law. Exceptions are maternity leave, childcare leave until the child reaches three, and adoption leave. Document each decision separately for the specific type and period of leave. After martial law is terminated or cancelled, the employer’s special right to grant carried-over paid leave without pay ends. Grant and pay unused days under the applicable general rules. Observe the protections described above for paid basic leave for minors and people with disabilities.

The broader right to refuse any leave under part two of Article 12 applies to an employee engaged in work at critical infrastructure facilities, the production of defence goods, or a mobilization assignment. Even then, maternity leave and childcare leave until the child reaches three cannot be refused. These special grounds do not automatically apply to an ordinary store.

Unpaid leave: application and correct grounds

For family reasons or other reasons, the parties may agree to up to 30 calendar days of unpaid leave per year under part one of Article 26 of the Law on Leave. During martial law, the employer may grant a longer period at the employee’s request under part three of Article 12 of Law No. 2136-IX. The parties agree on the duration. An employer cannot unilaterally send employees on such leave because of a lack of funds.

At the request of an employee who has left Ukraine or obtained internally displaced person status, the employer must grant unpaid leave under part four of Article 12. The total duration of all parts of this leave may not exceed 90 calendar days throughout the period of martial law. The employee states the requested duration in the application; include evidence of the relevant circumstance with the documents. If the employee requests a longer period, days exceeding this limit require another applicable ground, such as agreement between the parties.

Time spent on unpaid leave under parts three and four of Article 12 of Law No. 2136-IX and parts one and three of Article 26 of the Law on Leave does not count toward service for annual basic leave. The accountant needs the exact ground stated in the order to calculate that service correctly.

Mandatory unpaid leave under Article 25 of the Law on Leave also remains available, subject to applicable wartime exceptions. For example, mandatory unpaid leave includes up to 10 calendar days for marriage, up to 30 days per year for old-age pensioners and people with group III disabilities, and up to 60 days for people with group I or II disabilities. Before issuing an order, check the specific employee’s ground, supporting document, and limit.

Downtime: how to document a work stoppage

Downtime is a stoppage caused by a lack of necessary organizational or technical conditions, force majeure, or other circumstances. For example, a store may be unable to operate because equipment is damaged. If downtime affects an individual employee, they must notify the employer or responsible official when it begins. Employees do not each need to give notice when the whole store or a structural unit is affected. The employer records the cause and start of the stoppage, identifies the affected employees, and issues an order covering the downtime and whether employees must remain at the workplace.

For downtime through no fault of the employee, pay at least two thirds of the tariff rate or salary for the relevant time. If a dangerous production situation arises through no fault of the employee, preserve average earnings as provided in part three of Article 113 of the LCU. Downtime caused by the employee is unpaid.

Illustrative example: salary is UAH 18,000, the monthly norm is 180 hours, and downtime through no fault of the employee is 30 hours. Applying the minimum rate of two thirds, downtime pay is UAH 18,000 ÷ 180 × 30 × 2 ÷ 3 = UAH 2,000 before deductions. The accountant calculates pay for the remaining time separately.

During downtime, the employee may agree to a transfer to other work suited to their specialty and qualifications: with the same employer for the entire downtime period, or with another employer in the same locality for up to one month.

Suspending an employment contract: grounds and the 90-day limit

Suspension applies when armed aggression makes it impossible for the employer to provide work and for the employee to perform it. Check both parties before making the decision. Describe what exactly prevents the work and keep evidence. Suspension cannot be used as a concealed punishment of the employee.

Either party may initiate suspension. From March 14, 2026, the unilateral suspension period is limited to a total of 90 calendar days during martial law, including any extensions of martial law. For contracts already suspended on that date, this limit starts on March 14, 2026. A new order or another extension of martial law does not create a new 90-day limit. A longer period is possible by agreement of the parties, but not beyond the date martial law is terminated or cancelled.

Illustrative example: under this limit, the contract has already been suspended for 35 and 25 calendar days. The total used is 35 + 25 = 60 days. A further unilateral suspension may last 90 − 60 = 30 days. Any extension beyond that requires the employee’s consent and continuing legal grounds.

What to include in the order

• The reasons for suspension and the specific circumstances that make it impossible for both parties to perform their obligations.
• The suspension period and how the parties will exchange information.
• The number and categories of employees, and their surnames, first names, and patronymics where available.
• Employees’ tax identification numbers, or the passport details provided by law for people who have officially refused a tax number.
• The terms for resuming the contract.

Notify the employee by the agreed method and keep proof. If the period is extended beyond the unilateral limit, document the parties’ consent. An order specifying a longer period without such an agreement becomes invalid on the day after the legal limit ends.

During a lawful suspension, the employer is not required to pay wages, guaranteed or compensatory payments, or provide working conditions. Article 13 also covers the provision, payment, and compensation of leave and rest days, temporary disability benefits, and submission of the corresponding applications containing benefit calculations. Amounts due to the employee on the suspension date remain payable. This period does not count toward service for annual basic leave.

The law places responsibility for reimbursing wages and guaranteed and compensatory payments for the suspension period on the aggressor state. Keep records of the relevant amounts and documents showing the grounds for suspension. Do not promise the employee automatic or immediate receipt of these funds.

How to resume work

If the employer ends the suspension early, before the order’s end date or the end of martial law, the employee must be notified 14 calendar days before returning to work. For example, to resume work early on October 28, 2026, the employee must be notified no later than October 14, 2026. Keep proof of notice sent by the agreed method; if you apply the rules in part four of Article 7 of Law No. 2136-IX, record the relevant circumstances.

After the lawful suspension period ends, the contract resumes in full. Suspension by itself does not terminate the employment relationship. If it is impossible to perform the contract after it resumes, a separate legal ground is required to terminate it. A contract may also be terminated on a statutory ground while it is suspended. Article 13 sets a special deadline for final settlement and for issuing the employment record book, if held by the employer: no later than the working day after the dismissed employee’s written request. If the employer cannot access the book or it has been lost, the employer must issue a duplicate in accordance with the procedure and deadlines established by law.

The employee, or a trade union acting on their instructions, may appeal the order to the State Labour Service of Ukraine (SLS) or its territorial body. The employer must comply with an order to cancel the suspension or otherwise remedy a violation within 14 calendar days of receipt. The employer may challenge the order in court within 10 calendar days.

How to exchange HR documents

During martial law, the employer and employee may agree on an available method for creating, sending, and storing HR documents. Record which email address or other channel they will use, how the employee confirms receipt, and where documents are stored. Keep the message text, sending date, and proof of receipt.

Both parties must maintain a way to communicate, including during suspension, and promptly report changes to contact details, no later than 10 calendar days after the change. An employer that is an individual entrepreneur or legal entity meets this obligation by updating its details in the Unified State Register (USR). The employee sends the information to the employer’s address or email listed in the USR; if those means cannot be used, the law provides for a text message to the official phone number.

If a party has not updated its contact details, a notice sent using the latest known information is considered properly delivered. If mail and email are unavailable using those details, the law provides an exception to the notice requirement. Before relying on this exception, record that no available means of communication could be used.

A separate protection applies to a workplace in an area of active hostilities: an absent employee may not be dismissed for absenteeism under clause 4 of part one of Article 40 of the LCU. That time is unpaid and does not count toward service for annual basic leave. An employee’s absence does not automatically suspend their contract.

Recording the start and end of work in Torgsoft

Torgsoft allows an employee to record the start and end of the workday through “Settings — Working Time Registration.” The employee scans a badge or enters its number manually and can add a comment if needed. The official guide also describes registration in the “Sales” window.

The owner can use these records to compare the schedule with the work actually performed. Assign someone to check missing entries, breaks, night hours, and absences. A clock-in or clock-out record must be compared with the circumstances of the work: by itself, it does not document a transfer, leave, or overtime assignment.

Registration through the mobile app, as described in this guide, is available only with the “Payroll Calculation” option active. Badge settings and registration methods are described in the Torgsoft working time tracking guide. The employer and accountant are responsible for checking HR decisions and correct pay.

What to check before calculating wages

At the end of the pay period, the person responsible for staff gives the accountant the schedule, actual hours, orders, and applications. The accountant checks the dates of changes, night and overtime hours, downtime, leave, and suspension. The owner checks that the documents match the employees’ actual work and that all amounts due have been paid.

Under Article 265 of the LCU, a delay in payment of more than one month or incomplete payment may result in a fine of three minimum monthly wages; failure to meet minimum pay guarantees may result in a fine of two minimum monthly wages for each employee. For other violations not covered by the article’s special provisions, the fine is one minimum monthly wage per violation, or two for a repeat violation within a year. The applicable amount is the minimum monthly wage in effect when the violation is detected.

During martial law, the SLS may conduct unscheduled inspections on grounds provided by law. If the employer fully and on time complies with an order to remedy violations found during such an inspection, fines under Article 265 do not apply under Article 16 of Law No. 2136-IX. This rule does not remove the obligation to pay wages and remedy violations.

Official sources

• Labour Code of Ukraine No. 322-VIII: Articles 31–34, clause 6 of part one of Article 36, Articles 44, 47, 50–51, 54–57, 59, 61–63, 65–67, 70–73, 83, 103, 106–108, 113–116, 186-1, 265; point 2 of Chapter XIX.
• Law of Ukraine “On the Organization of Employment Relations under Martial Law” No. 2136-IX: Articles 1, 3, part three of Article 5, Articles 6–8, 10, 12–13, 15–16; point 3 of the “Final Provisions” section.
• Law of Ukraine “On Leave” No. 504/96-VR: Articles 6, 9–12, 17–21, 24–26.
• Law of Ukraine No. 4412-IX on information exchange and suspension of employment contracts: points 2–3 of Section I, point 1 of Section II on the commencement of the amendments.
• Decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine No. 3-р/2026 on the right to leave: points 1–3 of the operative part.
• Decree of the President of Ukraine “On the Introduction of Martial Law in Ukraine” No. 64/2022: point 1 and extensions of the martial law period.