In Ukraine, employees may obtain the right to temporarily suspend work if the employer delays salary payment for more than 15 calendar days. This provision is outlined in draft law No. 9510, which is being prepared for the second reading. The problem remains substantial: according to recent data, salary debts in Ukraine have reached UAH 3.8 billion. This is reported by Znaj.UA.
When can you not go to work due to salary delays
Draft law No. 9510 proposes to grant employees the right to temporarily cease their obligations if their salary has not been paid for more than 15 calendar days after the end of the month for which it is due.
However, simply not showing up for work will not be permissible. The employee must notify the employer in advance about the suspension of work and follow the established procedure.
Currently, this provision is not in effect. The Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft law in the first reading on April 30, 2025, and on September 1, 2026, included it in the agenda of the 16th session. The document is currently being prepared for the second reading, so its provisions may still change.
Until the law comes into force, unauthorized absence from work due to unpaid salaries may have negative consequences for the employee. Existing legislation already allows for debt recovery and protection of rights; previously, Inkorr explained what to do in case of salary non-payment.
What penalties are proposed for non-payment of salaries
The draft law not only provides for the repayment of the debt itself. The employer will also have to compensate for the loss of part of the income and pay a penalty for late payment.
The proposed penalty amount is no less than the National Bank of Ukraine's interest rate calculated annually for each day of delay, unless another procedure is provided by the employment or collective agreement.
Specific guarantees are proposed in case of employer insolvency. In the version that deputies supported in the first reading, the compensation could amount to three average monthly salaries but no more than 12 minimum salaries.
The corresponding period is also proposed to be credited to the employee's insurance experience.
Employees' rights regarding debt recovery were already strengthened at the end of 2025. The Constitutional Court recognized as unconstitutional the limitation that established the three-month recovery period for salaries.
Thus, the possibility to suspend work due to a 15-day salary delay remains only a proposal for now. Until the final adoption of No. 9510, employees should not unilaterally stop performing their job duties.