Updated procedure for employee deferral starting December 1, 2024

From December 1, 2024, businesses will be able to defer employees through the "Diia" portal under a newly updated procedure. To defer employees, a company must either obtain or update its critical importance status according to the new mandatory criteria. Businesses have until the end of February 2025—over three months—to complete this update.

Key Changes and Deadlines:

1. For Businesses with Current Critical Status:

They can defer new employees or extend deferrals for current employees until February 28, 2025, even if the critical status has not yet been updated.

2. After Updating Critical Status:

Businesses will be able to defer employees for a period of up to 12 months.

3. Simplified Salary Verification:

For employee deferral requests submitted via the "Diia" portal starting December 1, 2024, employers must declare that the employee's gross salary (before tax) will be at least UAH 20,000. There is no requirement to meet this salary level in previous periods.

4. Penalties for False Declarations:

Companies that provide inaccurate salary information will lose their critical status and will not be able to regain it for at least six months.

Additional Updates from the Ministry of Economy:

• Expanded Priority Professions: Specialists in prosthetics and orthopedics are now included in the list of roles eligible for deferral without restrictions.
• Support for International Projects: Businesses implementing humanitarian projects funded by international partners must meet new criteria established by the Ministry of Reintegration.

Key Dates:

• December 1, 2024: Deferral applications reopen via the "Diia" portal.
• February 28, 2025: Deadline for businesses to update their critical status.
• Post-Update: Businesses with updated status can defer employees for up to 12 months