The introduction of electronic employment records in Ukraine aimed to simplify the recording of work experience and reduce bureaucratic complexities during pension processing. However, in practice, digitization has not eliminated all old problems and, in some cases, has even complicated the verification of work experience.
This is reported by Finway
How Electronic Employment Records Affect Work Experience Accounting
As of June 10, 2021, Law No. 1217-IX came into effect, regulating the gradual transition to electronic accounting of employment activities. Ukraine plans to completely abandon paper employment records by June 2026. However, as practice shows, the Pension Fund of Ukraine does not always recognize work experience, even if employment documents have already been converted to digital format.
The main reason for the refusal to recognize work experience is that errors from paper employment records are often automatically transferred to the electronic register. During the verification of scanned copies, the system records any inaccuracies or discrepancies that may lead to the refusal to acknowledge records of employment activities.
Common Issues and New Legislative Changes
Among the most frequent reasons for refusal are errors in personal data, violations or omissions in the numbering of records, corrections in documents, incorrect dates, the use of Roman numerals instead of Arabic numbers, and various types of ink. Such cases are considered violations of Instruction No. 58 and require additional verification of work experience.
In case of refusal, citizens need to contact former employers, their successors, or archival institutions to obtain supporting documents. After receiving the relevant materials, they should be re-digitized and submitted to the Pension Fund through the electronic portal or in person at the branches.
“Experts advise not to abandon paper employment records, as they remain an important backup source for confirming work experience in disputed cases.”
Documents from the period before January 1, 2004, require special attention. If records from this period are missing or contain errors, work experience can be confirmed with other evidence: work certificates, payroll statements, copies of employment contracts, and other official documents. The submission of scanned copies must comply with the requirements of the PFU Resolution No. 11-1 dated March 12, 2021.
It is worth noting that on April 9, 2026, a new draft law No. 13705-d was adopted, simplifying the procedure for confirming work experience. From now on, if the data is already contained in state registers, the Pension Fund cannot demand additional certificates. Furthermore, fund employees are obliged not only to provide refusals but also to offer explanations regarding the procedure for confirming work experience and assist citizens with document processing.