Restoration of Bonus After a Teacher’s Discriminatory Cutback

Labor Initiatives (LI) lawyers successfully defended the labor rights of a college teacher in Kyiv whose legally guaranteed salary bonus was unlawfully reduced.

Under Ukrainian law, teachers are entitled to a “prestige” bonus ranging from 5% to 30% of their base salary. In this case, the teacher’s bonus was arbitrarily reduced from 30% to 10% starting in May 2022. LI’s legal team identified signs of discrimination, as other teachers at the same institution continued to receive the full 30% bonus.

LI attorneys prepared a formal appeal to the employer, demanding that the decision be reviewed and brought into compliance with the law. The letter also warned that the worker would pursue the matter in court if necessary.

As a result, the employer reinstated the 30% bonus and recalculated the teacher’s salary for the months when the full amount had not been paid. The total compensation amounted to UAH 25,000 (approximately $685).