In Ukraine, from January 1, 2026, the rules for employing people with disabilities will become stricter and will apply to all enterprises, including state-owned ones. At the same time, due to the lack of secondary legislation, employers do not know how to correctly fulfill quotas, which creates risks for businesses and the employees with disabilities themselves.
Source: OBOZREVATEL
This was stated by the head of the Committee on Finance, Tax, and Customs Policy, Danylo Hetmantsev (“Servant of the People”). He noted that for the stable development of the economy during the war and after its end, it is important that employment rules are clear and understandable for businesses.
From January 1, 2026, the mandatory employment quota for people with disabilities will be 4% of all employees and will apply to all enterprises. In addition, the employment of people with severe disabilities will be counted as 1 to 2, making quota fulfillment more equitable. Previously, the obligation to meet the quota applied only to the private sector.
Hetmantsev emphasized that the new rules require the development of secondary legislation, which the government was supposed to create six months ago. To date, these documents do not exist, while about 91,000 legal entities in Ukraine are already required to comply with the quota, causing concern among employers.
The issue is particularly acute for enterprises with harmful or dangerous working conditions. The Verkhovna Rada stipulated that the Cabinet of Ministers must determine which positions are not included in the quota to avoid excessive fines. For example, in 2025, the average fine for one unplaced employee with a disability amounted to 176,000 hryvnias per year.
“Preparation for the new rules must be done in advance, not reactively. The state must ensure a complete mechanism for fulfilling obligations so that employers have clear rules, and people with disabilities have more job opportunities,” Hetmantsev emphasized.
He added that timely information and involving both employers and organizations of people with disabilities in the development of secondary legislation is critically important for the effective integration of employees with disabilities into the workforce.
Discussion about this post