IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RIGHT TO WORK FOR WAR VETERANS IN THE CONTEXT OF LABOR DIGITALIZATION

Abstract

Problem setting. After returning from military service, war veterans face the challenge of reintegration into civilian life through various legal mechanisms provided by the state. One of the most pressing areas of social relations for adaptation to peaceful life is employment. Labor activity enables individuals to realize their abilities in different societal spheres and ensures a decent level of income. Purpose of research. The purpose of this article is to highlight key trends in the labor sector in Ukraine concerning the realization of war veterans’ right to work, as well as to outline the advantages and limitations veterans face due to labor market developments under martial law and the lack of legal regulation of employment relations in the field of nonstandard employment. Analysis of recent research and publications. Recent studies on labor and social rights of war veterans include the work of E.A. Novikov, who advocates for distinguishing military personnel and war veterans as special (specific) subjects of labor law. V.I. Sheverdina examines the social protection of military personnel and war veterans, formulating a categorical-conceptual framework for their social protection. I. Nalyvaiko’s article discusses the development of legislation protecting combatants in Ukraine, analyzing significant recent achievements in the legal regulation of their social protection. At the end of 2024, a collective monographic study titled “Legal Support for Professional Adaptation and the Right to Entrepreneurial Activity of War Veterans” was published. It aimed to establish the legal foundations for the professional adaptation and employment of war veterans, facilitate their right to engage in entrepreneurial activities, and improve mechanisms for their social protection and support during martial law and the post-war period. Article’s main body. The article examines the impact of digital technologies on the labor market. Firstly, this impact manifests in the transformation of employment relationships and the emergence of non-standard forms of work that do not fully exhibit the classical characteristics of labor relations. Secondly, it is reflected in the development of state electronic services in the field of labor. A possible solution to the problem of implementing the right to work for war veterans is leveraging the benefits of digitalization in society and the economy. This is expressed in new forms of work organization – non-standard employment – whose main feature is the dependence of an employee’s labor function on digital devices, Internet access, and electronic means of communication through which work is received and/or performed. Modern forms of non-standard employment – remote work, on-call work, and platform-based work – offer both advantages (flexibility, the ability to balance personal life and work, the opportunity to work from any location) and disadvantages (temporary nature, limited realization of labor rights established by law in the absence of legal regulation of non-standard employment) for workers choosing such forms of work. Conclusions and prospects for development. The author concludes that the spread of digital technologies positively influences war veterans’ access to information on available legal opportunities and guarantees in labor law and social security. The introduction of state electronic services related to education (retraining), professional adaptation, and employment of war veterans represents a step forward in ensuring this category of workers can exercise their labor rights and receive employment-related social benefits and guarantees. For war veterans, employment under non-standard conditions presents a viable solution for realizing their right to work while benefiting from digitalization in society and the economy. It is suggested that labor legislation should move towards regulating non-standard employment relationships, which remain largely unregulated, as these forms of employment offer numerous advantages and align with workers’ interests.