Ukraine wants to allow teenagers to work longer and on weekends

The Verkhovna Rada has registered bill No. 16114, which significantly changes the rules for employing minors. Deputies propose increasing the working week duration for them, removing the special ban on weekend work, changing pay rules, and allowing probation periods when hiring.

The draft law "On Amendments to the Labor Code of Ukraine Regarding Expanding Employment Opportunities for Youth" was registered on September 28. As of October 5, it is under review by the parliamentary committee on social policy and veterans' rights and has not yet been adopted by the Verkhovna Rada.

One of the main changes concerns working hours. Currently, employees aged 16 to 18 may work no more than 36 hours per week. The bill proposes increasing this to 38 hours. For employees aged 15 to 16, as well as students aged 14-15 who work during vacations, the limit is proposed to be raised from 24 to 26 hours per week.

It is also proposed to remove the separate ban on engaging employees under 18 in weekend work. The ban on night and overtime work remains. Thus, if the law is adopted, minors may be employed on weekends in compliance with general labor law requirements.

Another significant change concerns probation periods. The current Labor Code expressly prohibits establishing a probation period for persons under 18. In the proposed wording, minors are removed from the list of employees for whom probation is not established.

Deputies also propose revising the pay principle for minors. Currently, with reduced working hours, they receive wages in the same amount as employees of the corresponding category with full working hours. The bill provides for payment proportional to actual time worked, while maintaining statutory minimum wage guarantees.

Medical examination rules may also change. Currently, employees hired before age 18 are required to undergo annual medical examinations until age 21. The bill authors propose keeping this requirement only until age 18.

Separately, it is proposed to repeal the Labor Code article that provides additional protection for minors from dismissal at the employer's initiative. Currently, such dismissal, in addition to the general procedure, requires the consent of the district or city children's service, and on some grounds is allowed only in exceptional cases and with subsequent employment. The bill proposes to delete this article.

At the same time, the right of parents, other legal representatives, and state bodies to demand termination of the employment contract with a minor is preserved. If continued work threatens the minor's health or is contrary to their interests, the employer is obliged to dismiss the employee upon a substantiated and documented demand.

The bill also fully legalizes electronic conclusion of employment contracts. By mutual agreement of the parties, an electronic contract is equivalent to a written one and may be signed with a qualified or advanced electronic signature. In that case, paper identity documents and other paper documents are not required, unless otherwise expressly provided by law.

Furthermore, employers will no longer need to keep separate special records of employees under 18 — information about them must be included in the Register of Insured Persons.

If the bill is adopted in its current wording, it will come into force the day after official publication. The Cabinet of Ministers will be given one month to bring regulations in line with the new rules.

Source: Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine