Ukrainian business calls to make mobilization more predictable

The Ukrainian business community is asking to make mobilization more predictable and give companies the opportunity to identify critical employees to continue the effective operation of their enterprises. This is stated in a statement by the European Business Association (EBA).

The business is aware of the need of the Ukrainian army for people and supports the manning of the Armed Forces as a top priority of state policy in times of war. Ukrainian companies are also actively involved in supporting both existing and newly created brigades, helping the families of mobilized soldiers, paying taxes, etc.

However, the EBA notes that the staffing issue is currently one of the main problems faced by entrepreneurs across Ukraine. In addition to migration and other factors, mobilization is one of the prerequisites for this situation.

«Mobilizing an employee who is critical to the company’s business model not only complicates the company’s work (and, accordingly, slows down the economy), but also brings such an enterprise closer to closure. By doing so, the state does not allow the company to continue working, as it is almost impossible to replace specialists critical to the functioning of the business in such conditions,» the EBA notes.

The business asks the state to allow it to operate in order to save companies from closure, as well as additional and existing difficulties that can be avoided.

«The worst thing would be to realize that two and a half years of operation of an enterprise in the war, contrary to all possible business laws and common sense, will still lead to its closure. And not because of the enemy’s actions, but because of the ill-conceived policy of our own state,» the EBA said in a statement.

The Ukrainian business community calls for making mobilization more predictable and asks to pay attention to the issue of economic booking as a tool worth considering. According to EBA representatives, allowing businesses to identify employees who are critical to the continued effective operation of the enterprise during the war will help slow down the serious shortage of personnel that is deepening.

The EBA also noted that a petition was registered on the website of the President of Ukraine calling for the introduction of an economic booking system as soon as possible.

According to a study conducted in February-April 2024 by the EBA in partnership with Tetiana Pashkina, an expert in labor market analytics, almost three quarters (74%) of employers in the country are experiencing a shortage of staff.