THE IMPACT OF MARTIAL LAW ON THE LABOR RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF EMPLOYEES

Abstract

The article examines the impact of martial law introduced in Ukraine on February 24, 2024, on the labor rights and interests of employees. The relevance of the study is stipulated by the need to understand the relevant legislative and organizational changes taking place in the labor sphere in the context of modern challenges. The purpose of the article is to review and analyze the impact of martial law on the labor rights and interests of employees with a view to understanding further prospects and possible ways of their protection. To achieve this goal, the study solved a number of tasks: to define the basic labor rights of citizens enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine and the Labor Code; to analyze the changes in legislation caused by the introduction of martial law; to determine their impact on labor rights and interests of employees. The study used general scientific methods of cognition: induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, association and analogy. The study found that the difficult situation in the field of labor and employment has led to changes in labor legislation. In particular, the changes affected the establishment of a probationary period for employees; transfer of employees to another position; termination of employment, including with temporarily disabled employees and employees on vacation; working hours and reduced work schedules before holidays; vacation; collective bargaining agreements; payment of wages; suspension of employment contracts and other aspects of employment relations. Some of these changes restrict the labor rights and interests of employees. This causes not only concern among employees, but also emphasizes the need for monitoring and possible changes to maintain a balance between social needs and situational requirements. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of applying the results obtained for further improvement of labor legislation with a view to ensuring more effective protection of employees’ rights.