New employee reservation rules in 2026: what will change for businesses from June 1 and who will be affected by the innovations
Kyiv • UNN
Starting June 2026, the conditions for reserving employees will change based on salary levels. Additionally, a reform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will launch, featuring increased payments and new contracts.
Starting June 1, 2026, updated rules for reserving conscripted employees of critically important enterprises are set to take effect in Ukraine. The government is revising approaches to determining business criticality, changing salary level requirements, and clarifying the procedure for calculating reservation quotas. UNN will provide more details on what specific changes to expect.
New salary requirement to confirm critically important enterprise status
One of the key changes will be an increase in the requirements for the minimum average salary level necessary to obtain or confirm the status of a critically important enterprise. These were announced by the Ministry of Economy in May.
According to the new rules, the average salary at the enterprise must be at least 25,941 hryvnias, which corresponds to three minimum wages. This specific requirement will be one of the conditions for reserving employees from mobilization.
Separate conditions will apply to businesses operating in frontline territories. For such enterprises, the threshold will remain lower – 21,618 hryvnias or 2.5 minimum wages. This refers to territories defined by the relevant order of the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development.
How the quota calculation procedure will change
Additionally, employees who already have a deferment from mobilization and part-time employees will be counted toward the reservation quota at only one place of work. This means that if a person is officially employed at several enterprises, only one employer will be able to include them in the reservation quota. In this way, the government plans to prevent situations where the number of employees for reservation is artificially increased through part-time employment.
Enterprises to be checked against updated criteria
Furthermore, ministries, central government bodies, and regional military administrations must update the criteria for determining critically important enterprises within a month.
This refers to the criteria used to determine whether an enterprise is truly essential for the functioning of the economy, defense capability, security, or providing for the basic needs of the population. In particular, the enterprise's role in fulfilling state tasks, providing critical services, producing necessary products, supporting infrastructure, employment, and the stable operation of communities may be taken into account.
Review of the status of enterprises that are already deemed critically important
Additionally, within a three-month period from the changes taking effect, the status of all enterprises that have already been designated as critically important by the relevant government bodies will be reviewed. This will allow for a system update and maintain reservations for those companies, institutions, and organizations upon whose work the economy, defense capability, and community life truly depend.
At the same time, throughout the entire transition period of clarification and criticality review until a new decision is made, the current criticality of enterprises remains in effect. The valid reservation of conscripts at these enterprises is also maintained. Thus, enterprises have time to confirm their criticality according to the updated criteria.
According to the ministry, it is expected that the adopted changes will strengthen trust in the reservation system, reduce the risks of abuse, and simultaneously preserve the ability for critically important businesses to retain employees necessary for stable operation under martial law.
First stage of AFU reform starts in Ukraine in June
In June, the first stage of reforming the Armed Forces of Ukraine, previously announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is set to begin. The changes will concern the financial support of military personnel and the development of the contract service system.
"We are starting the army reform. During April, key directions of the reform were agreed upon: the military command and the government defined the formula for changes. Now, in May, the coordination of all key details will take place. In June, the reform starts, and already in June, there should be the first results, particularly in the field of financial support for soldiers, sergeants, and commanders of the Defense Forces of Ukraine,"
One of the key directions of the reform will be a review of payments for military personnel.
"I have set the task to significantly increase financial support, taking into account the principle of justice, namely – combat missions on the front line, real combat and management experience, and the effectiveness of the serviceman must guarantee an increase in payments. The minimum level should be no less than 30 thousand hryvnias for rear positions. For combat positions – several times more. For Ukrainian commanders, combat sergeants, and officers – a worthy and significantly increased level of payments,"
Additionally, special contracts for infantrymen have been announced with payments ranging from 250 to 400 thousand hryvnias, depending on service conditions and the performance of combat missions.
"Special attention to infantrymen. The Ukrainian infantryman, who holds the front line, must feel that our state truly respects him. I have instructed to ensure the implementation of special contracts specifically for our infantrymen with payments within the range of 250–400 thousand hryvnias depending on the performance of combat missions,"
Development of the contract system and preparation for demobilization
Another direction of the reform will be the update of the contract system for military service. The authorities plan to introduce new approaches to contracts, which will provide for more defined terms of service and a mechanism for the phased discharge of servicemen who were mobilized earlier.
"Approaches to the manning of our units and human resource management will be changed. I have instructed to strengthen the contract system in the Defense Forces in such a way that, by expanding the contract component, we ensure defined terms of service and the possibility – starting this year – of phased discharge from service for those who were mobilized earlier, based on clear time criteria. I have instructed the military command and the Minister of Defense of Ukraine to discuss the implementation of the reform with our combat commanders and take their proposals into account when working on the details of the reform. For next week, I expect a report on specific steps in the implementation of the reform, in particular regarding the schedule of increased payments starting in June and the system of updated contracts,"
Also, according to Oleksandr Sternenko, an advisor to the Minister of Defense, the future system should take into account the time of start of service. Those who have served longer may receive priority right to demobilization after the launch of the corresponding mechanism.