Ukraine Tightens Employee Reservation Rules: Salary Threshold Raised to 3 Minimum Wages.

Updated Framework for Reserving Military-Liable Workers

According to Novyny.live: Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers is finalizing revisions to the rules that allow businesses to reserve employees who are liable for military service. The proposed changes include a higher salary threshold and stricter criteria for companies. According to lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak, the new regulations aim to make the reservation system "more stringent and transparent," as reported during a government session where the draft resolution is currently under review.

Under the new proposal, the minimum salary required for an employee to be eligible for reservation will increase from 2.5 to 3 times the minimum wage. However, businesses operating in active combat zones will retain the current 2.5 multiplier. Company directors must cancel any excess reservations within 10 working days, and exceeding the allowed quota of reserved workers could result in losing the company's status as a critical enterprise. It is also important to note that employees who already have a deferment will only be counted at one place of employment.

Additional Requirements for 'Diia City' Residents

Companies registered as residents of the 'Diia City' special legal regime will face extra requirements. Furthermore, the Unified List of Critical Enterprises will now include details about the criteria used for designation, and state authorities must review both sector-specific and regional criteria. The new rules are expected to take effect soon.

The key implementation timeline for the new rules is as follows:

• By June 10, 2026: Review of sectoral and regional criteria is scheduled;
• By July 1, 2026: Verification of enterprises' compliance with the new requirements;
• By September 1, 2026: Reassessment of previous decisions on critical status;
• Starting September 1, 2026: The increased multiplier of 3.0 and other norms will come into effect.

These updates to the employee reservation system are designed to create stricter and more transparent conditions for businesses classified as critical during wartime. By establishing clear rules, the government aims to prevent abuse within the reservation process while supporting the country's economic stability. This could directly impact the operational continuity of critical enterprises and their ability to fulfill essential functions under current conditions.