Protection of a Worker Affected by Chornobyl Disaster

Lawyers from Labor Initiatives successfully protected the labor rights of a state enterprise employee who holds the status of a person affected by the Chornobyl disaster.

The worker had been notified of an upcoming dismissal due to staff reduction. He chose to exercise his legal right to take annual leave prior to dismissal, which would also entitle him to a one-time health recovery allowance paid together with the leave. However, the employer attempted to bypass these rights by suggesting he resign voluntarily, which would have deprived him of severance pay (amounting to three average monthly salaries) and the right to vacation and the associated allowance.

Labor Initiatives’ legal team consulted the worker, explained his legal rights, and prepared a formal letter to the employer demanding full compliance with labor legislation.

As a result, all of the worker’s demands were met: he was dismissed under the proper redundancy procedure and received full compensation, including severance and the health recovery payment—amounting to approximately UAH 50,000.