Reservation of Employees in 2026: New Rules for Businesses, Part-Time Workers, and Critical Enterprises

The Cabinet of Ministers has updated the rules for reserving employees subject to military service, making the system more transparent and better protected against abuse. Find out what has changed for businesses, part-time workers, and reserved employees, and what steps need to be taken now

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The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a decision to improve the system for reserving conscripts. As the Ministry of Economy explains, the new rules do not eliminate reservations for businesses — their aim is to strike a balance between the needs of national defense and the economy and to ensure that reservations are granted to enterprises and employees who are truly critical to the state in wartime.

Read also: On what grounds are men entitled to travel abroad in 2026?

Reservations for part-time work: one employee — one quota

One of the key changes concerns employees who hold multiple jobs. From now on, a person subject to military service will be counted toward the reservation quota at only one enterprise—regardless of how many jobs they hold.

At the same time, this company does not necessarily have to be their primary place of employment. If a person works at several companies concurrently, they can be reserved at any of them—but only at the one that has included them in its quota. The main principle is simple: one person subject to military service—one entry in the reservation system, regardless of the number of employment contracts.

Confirmation of Critical Enterprise Status

Enterprises are required to resubmit documents to confirm their critical enterprise status—decisions will be made based on updated criteria after receiving the complete set of documents.

The government agency must review the application within no more than 10 business days. The key condition for meeting this deadline is the submission of a complete and accurate set of documents without errors or omissions.

During the transition period, the current critical status of enterprises remains in effect, as does the current reservation of their employees. Therefore, no drastic changes in the status of reserved employees are expected in the near future—but it is not advisable to delay re-confirmation.

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What has changed for sole proprietors, state-owned enterprises, and the wage criterion

Several important clarifications concern specific categories of employers and employees:

1. Sole proprietors. The law does not provide for the reservation of sole proprietors—this rule has not changed.

2. State-owned and municipal enterprises. Changes regarding the average salary of insured individuals do not apply to them—the salary criterion for this category of enterprises remains unchanged.

3. Salary criterion. This refers to the gross average salary, i.e., the amount before taxes. It is important to take this into account when making calculations while preparing documents.

What should a reserved employee do?

A reserved employee does not need to collect documents independently to confirm the critical nature of their enterprise—this is the employer’s responsibility. However, there are several things worth doing on their own:

● confirm with the employer whether the current reservation is still in effect;

● verify the accuracy of their own military registration data;

● clarify their status with the company’s designated representative in advance.

What should authorized representatives of companies do?

Authorized representatives of critically important companies have significantly more responsibilities. Before the end of the transition period, they must:

● verify that the company meets the updated criticality criteria;

● review the list of employees planned for reservation;

● separately verify the status of part-time employees;

● assess the company’s average salary and the salaries of candidates for retention;

● prepare documents for reconfirmation of criticality;

● not delay submitting documents until the last minute.

Where can you find the updated criticality criteria?

Companies should refer to the official decisions of the authorities that determine criticality in the relevant sector or region. Once the criteria are re-approved, the latest information will be available through the official channels of the relevant ministry, central executive authority, or regional military administration.

If you have legal questions—regarding migration, employment, education, business, real estate, or visa processing—Visit Ukraine employs lawyers specializing in various fields who are ready to provide personalized advice tailored to your specific situation.

We remind you! The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is preparing a two-stage reform: starting in June, payments to infantry soldiers will increase, and a system of contracts and demobilization priority will be introduced. Read what else will change in mobilization and the army, according to Ministerial Advisor Serhii Sternenko.

Photo: Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

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