During the meeting on 15 November, the Government updated the criteria for the reservation of employees and the criteria for obtaining critical enterprise status. These updates, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, are aimed at ensuring the principle of fairness.

According to the Head of Government, an audit of enterprises and organisations with the critical status and the right to reserve employees was carried out by 15 November. The audit revealed a number of problematic issues that need to be addressed.

“First of all, the regional and sectoral criteria for critical enterprise status will now be agreed with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Economy. Secondly, for the private sector, the salary criterion and the absence of debts to the budget are now mandatory requirements for reserving employees,” said Denys Shmyhal.

In particular, the average salary in the company and that of the reserved employee must be at least 2.5 minimum wages. The Prime Minister stressed that this would reduce the risk of abuse when companies hire a person for the sake of a “shadow” reservation arrangement.

According to Denys Shmyhal, all reservations from 1 December will be made through Diia. Companies and organisations will be monitored on a monthly basis to ensure that they meet all the criteria.

“The responsible ministries have been instructed to explain in detail all aspects and logic of the updated system. It is necessary to provide comprehensive answers to all questions,” the Prime Minister said.

The Head of Government added that the new procedure would be effective from 1 December. At the same time, all those who already have deferrals will have a transition period to the new conditions until 28 February. By this date, all companies must renew their employees’ reservations in accordance with the new conditions, regardless of how and when the reservation was made.