Full-time work is in question. Is part-time work in Ukraine a good idea?

In 2026, the Ukrainian labor market will face not a shortage of vacancies, but a shortage of people. Staff shortages, burnout, and demographic losses are forcing businesses to reconsider the full-time employment format, which is common for most companies. Against this backdrop, interest in flexible forms of employment is growing: part-time work, project-based work, and combining several sources of income. Employees are looking for ways to work 4-6 hours a day while maintaining their income and resources, and businesses are thinking about how to retain people and fill vacancies that have remained open for years.Journalist LIGA.net Maria Shpakovska spoke with career consultants Alyona Fedko and Alyona Aliyeva about who needs a part-time job in Ukraine and why, whether it really reduces burnout, and how it could change the labor market in 2026.Who benefits from part-time work and when does it work?In the current conditions, part-time work can be beneficial for both employees and employers."For businesses, flexibility is gradually becoming a condition for survival," says Alyona Aliyeva.Part-time employment allows us to attract people who are not ready or able to work full-time, but who are highly motivated and experienced: parents of young children, veterans returning to civilian life, and people over 50.There are still many stereotypes surrounding these groups, but in practice, they often demonstrate high loyalty to their employer, discipline, a conscious choice of work, and stress resistance.Read alsoHow to work during war and blackouts: 5 practices for office, hybrid, and remote workAccording to the career consultant, a part-time job is when:clearly defined tasks and expected results;It is not "presence" that is evaluated, but the performance of work;Management is ready for planning and coordination.It fails when part-time work is implemented without reviewing processes, leaving the old control model but with fewer hours.Part-time work is beneficial for an employee when they are solving a specific life problem – caring for a child or relative, recovering from burnout or health issues, studying and retraining, or building multiple sources of income, adds Alyona Fedko.Business benefits and why companies are still cautiousThe main advantage for the employer is the expansion of the talent pool. Companies that offer part-time work automatically open themselves up to the "hidden talent market": students, parents, older people, and veterans.Other benefits include higher employee engagement, less fatigue, and more stable productivity, as well as a stronger employer brand that is perceived as flexible and socially responsible. In Ukraine, part-time employment is most often provided in:in the hotel and restaurant business;in education;in medicine and the healthcare sector.This is not yet a widespread phenomenon, but the trend has already been established, according to a career consultant.Businesses' caution is understandable given the risks: an additional burden on HR and accounting (tracking hours, correct accruals), more complex team coordination, and the need to comply with all social guarantees for official employment. Part-time work requires mature management processes. Without clear rules, KPIs, and communication, it becomes a problem.Are people in Ukraine ready to pay for results, not for hours?The transition to performance-based pay is inevitable, but it is happening very slowly. The main obstacles are the fear of losing control, managerial conservatism, the lack of clear metrics, and the habit of measuring work by hours spent at a desk."Why not have two mothers work four hours each? This would be a 50/50 salary split, and at the same time, the business could fill a position that has been vacant for years. This could help with retaining scarce personnel," says Alyona Fedko.The model works where the result can be measured, there is trust, autonomy, and minimal micromanagement. It requires clearly defined expectations, realistic KPIs, trust between employer and employee, and mature management. The problem is not the employment format, but the quality of management, and this, according to the experts, will be the key challenge for businesses in the coming years.It is more profitable for businesses to start adapting now, rather than in conditions of an even greater staff shortage, Aliona Alieva is convinced.Who can work part-time?It's not so much about specific professions, but about types of work. Roles that are not tied to continuous production and constant synchronous communication have the potential for part-time employment. This includes project-based activities with clearly measurable results.These areas include digital and creative, notes Alyona Fedko:design;content marketing;video editing;communications;some IT roles;as well as education, consulting, and mentoring."In fact, we are talking about legalizing what already exists: most people work most efficiently for 4-6 hours a day," says Alyona Aliyeva.Does part-time work reduce burnout?Part-time work is not a universal cure for burnout. It can reduce the risk if the actual workload is reduced, time for recovery appears, and the person does not compensate for the free hours with additional work. An important condition is the absence of sharp financial stress. When there is a reduction in working hours without a reduction in pay, then well-being really increases and fatigue and burnout decrease, career consultants say.If part-time means the same tasks compressed into less time, or a significant drop in income, it only masks the problem.Where to start when transitioning to a part-time scheduleIt's worth starting with the answer to the question: "Why do I need this and do I have the resources?". It's important to understand that there's no such thing as easy money without effort. What's most exhausting isn't the work itself, but the constant switching between tasks, especially when there are several of them and they are diverse. If you have the resources, the key skills for this format are:Prioritization;planning;Energy management;Mandatory rest time.Next, formulate a well-reasoned proposal for the employer: explain how the change in format will affect the outcome and what risks can be mitigated. It's also important to consider the reality of the market. There are still few part-time job openings, so the initiative often has to come from the employee.What will the labor market be like in 2026?In Ukraine already is being formed The employment strategy until 2030 focuses on inclusivity, the return of internally displaced persons and people after long breaks, and the retraining of the adult population. The draft of the new Labor Code proposes to expand the list of employment contracts and legalize modern work formats: remote, home-based, and with a non-fixed schedule. Labor relations are planned to be digitized – electronic documents are equated to paper ones.Among other changes, parents' rights to flexible working arrangements and childcare leave are being expanded (both mother and father will be able to take two months of leave each). A new entry-level format for young people may emerge – an apprenticeship contract, which will allow them to combine studying with their first job.However, experts are skeptical about a quick balance between supply and demand. The labor shortage will grow, and the expectations of the parties will remain different. Employees want flexibility and stability, while businesses seek efficiency and manageability, notes Alyona Fedko. Part-time and project-based formats will develop, but rather selectively, in more flexible and modern companies, rather than on a massive scale.Demand and supply will not automatically match, but with more flexible employment formats, investment in training, and a review of human resource management approaches, the market can become significantly healthier than it is today, concludes Alyona Aliyeva.Read also5 signs that an employee is on the verge of burnout: what HR should see and do