Ukraine Proposes New Rules Allowing Employers to Monitor Staff

Draft Law on Workplace Surveillance in Ukraine

According to ХВИЛЯ: The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers has submitted a draft law, known as Bill No. 14386, that would permit employers to install video surveillance and monitor employee work correspondence under specific conditions. The bill, which has been sent to the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada for review, aims to modernize legislation and expand employer rights. This legislative move reflects a broader global trend of adapting workplace regulations to digital realities.

Stipulations for Video Surveillance Use

According to the proposed legislation, video monitoring may only be implemented if alternative control methods are impossible or ineffective. Cameras can be installed in premises or on company property. Employers are obligated to notify staff about the recording, though they may determine the method of notification. Crucially, such surveillance must not violate the right to private life.

The bill also legalizes the monitoring of work email or files on company devices. Installing video surveillance is considered an exceptional measure requiring justification of objective necessity. Recordings must be stored for a minimum of three months, and upon an employee's request, a company must provide a video segment if it could serve as evidence of a rights violation or duty breach. Sharing recordings with third parties without the employee's written consent is prohibited. The employer will determine the procedures for logging recordings and assessing the need for surveillance.

'Video surveillance is an extreme form of employer control over an employee and may only be applied if it is impossible or ineffective to use alternative control methods.'

Consequently, these new control rules could significantly alter approaches to employee monitoring in Ukraine.

The adoption of this bill may signal shifts in Ukraine's workplace culture, highlighting the need to balance employee rights with employers' requirements for oversight. In the context of growing labor market competition and technological advancement, implementing these new control norms could be a significant step toward improving business efficiency. However, it also raises debates concerning ethics and privacy. The monitoring of employees will attract attention not only from employers but also from human rights advocates, who emphasize the importance of upholding human rights in the work environment.