News date: 14 June 2024
Valeriia Gudiy, Partner at Ilyashev & Partners Law Firm, Board Member of the European Business Association HR Committee, held a seminar “EU Employment Trends” for the EBA member companies. The event was held in Kyiv on June 13, 2024.
Highlighting the changes in labor legislation to be implemented by Ukraine in accordance with EU Directives and new challenges that Ukrainian employers should prepare for, Valeriia Gudiy emphasized that building a common internal market with the EU requires more intensive coordination in regulating employment conditions.
As part of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, focusing on social policy and employment, Ukraine must incorporate certain directives from the EU Parliament and Council into its legislation. These directives address issues such as minimum labor standards, non-discrimination and equality, health and safety at work. However, according to the European Commission’s Report 2023, Ukraine is still in the early stages of these changes and has made limited progress so far.
“EU adopts directives that EU Member States must transpose into the national law. The directives are binding for the EU Member States, but the countries can choose the means to achieve the objectives set by the directive, – Valeriia Gudiy emphasized. – According to the European Commission’s Report 2023, Ukraine needs to modernize its Labor Code, to bring it in line with the European legislation. The high level of undeclared labor, as well as the limitation of the powers of the State Labor Service of Ukraine, have been negatively noted by the Commission in the EU Parliament”.
The seminar was attended by members of the EBA HR Committee, heads of legal departments and HR-departments of the largest national and representative offices of foreign companies in Ukraine.
Established in 1999, the European Business Association provides a forum in which members can discuss and find solutions to common problems affecting business in Ukraine. This initiative was initially supported by the European Commission and has grown to become one of the largest and most influential business communities in the country.