On 15 January 2026, Draft Law No. 14386, the Draft Labour Code, was registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The document is intended to replace the current Labour Code of Ukraine and update approaches to the regulation of labour relations, taking into account current economic conditions and European standards.
The Draft Law is justified by the outdated nature of the current Labour Code, the need to increase the flexibility of labour relations for business, and the necessity to legalise employment through simplified hiring procedures.
For businesses, the Draft Law provides for greater formalisation of labour relations, broader use of flexible forms of employment, and, at the same time, strengthened control and increased employer liability.
Key changes for employers include:
- the introduction of a mandatory written form of employment contracts and an expanded range of contract types (remote, home-based and temporary work);
- more detailed dismissal procedures, new grounds for termination, and specific rules for collective redundancies;
- a risk-based approach to occupational health and safety with enhanced employer responsibility;
- an updated system of labour supervision and liability for violations of labour legislation.
If adopted, the new Labour Code will enter into force after the end of martial law, subject to a transitional period provided for by the Draft Law.
We will closely monitor further developments in this area, in particular regarding the status of this Draft Law, and report on them in the future Legal News.
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