In brief
The office reported demands for teachers to reach school despite air alerts and said shelter-related absences can be justified.
Ukraine’s education ombudsman’s office says employers cannot require school staff to leave a safe place during an air raid alert to reach work if doing so endangers their lives or health. RBC-Ukraine reported the guidance on October 8, citing the office.
The office reported cases in which teachers were required to be at school at the start of the working day even during an alert, so they could resume work immediately after the danger passed. RBC-Ukraine did not specify the number of cases or identify the schools.
According to the guidance, absence is justified when it is connected to the need to shelter, and may include travel to and from a shelter. Staff should notify their manager when possible. Having a shelter at school does not itself allow an employer to demand that staff travel there during an ongoing alert if the journey is unsafe.
The office also said civil protection duties must not be assigned to teachers in violation of their employment rights. The report describes guidance on existing rules, rather than the adoption of a new law.