Recovery of wages and protection of labour rights upon dismissal

Kateryna worked for a limited liability company in Kharkiv. With the outbreak of the war on February 24, 2022, she was forced to relocate to Poltava region, where she registered as an internally displaced person. Just a few months later, on May 31, her employer dismissed her without proper legal grounds. Kateryna had not submitted a resignation letter, had not received her final payment, a copy of the dismissal order, or her employment record book. This constituted a serious violation of her rights.

In December 2022, Kateryna sought assistance from a lawyer, Dmytro, from the NGO “Institute of Analytics and Advocacy.” The lawyer prepared a written request to the employer demanding payment of all outstanding funds. In January 2023, the employer transferred a partial amount to Kateryna’s bank account but failed to respond to follow-up requests from the lawyer.

In April 2023, Dmytro filed a lawsuit, and in January 2024, the court partially satisfied the claims in a default judgment.

Disagreeing with the outcome, the lawyer filed an appeal. Eventually, the Court of Appeal overturned the decision of the first instance and fully upheld Kateryna’s claims regarding the payment she was entitled to.

Free legal aid in Poltava region is provided by the NGO “Institute for Analytics and Advocacy” in cooperation with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and with financial support from the European Union.