Working in war: The main changes in labour relations and working Сonditions under martial law in ukraine

Abstract

Background: Maintaining labour regulations and the quality of working conditions is a considerable challenge during wartime and martial law. This paper outlines the changes that have affected the working life of employees who continued in employment, both inside and outside Ukraine, under martial law in 2022. Using a qualitative analysis of Ukrainian labour regulations, ILO and Ukrainian government statistics, and direct observation, we show how the legal regulation of labour relations and working conditions has changed under the influence of active hostilities. During the war in Ukraine, many employees started to work remotely, and some companies have relocated their production facilities to areas where there are no active hostilities and continue to operate. At the same time, the legal regulation and nature of labour relations and the quality of working conditions have changed significantly - yet regulations have failed to keep up with the levels of flexibility and timeliness required to respond effectively in the ongoing crisis. Methods: In order to achieve objective scientific results, the authors used such methods as analysis and synthesis to understand and build a logical chain of ideas. The authors used the statistical method to emphasise their positions with real data regarding the situation that developed in practice. Results and Conclusions: We draw conclusions regarding the problems of employees implementing their labour rights during wartime, identify applied aspects of labour law in wartime conditions, and propose ways to improve the situation regarding the implementation of labour rights.