Formation of labor relations in crisis situations: legal regulation of the eu and ukraine

Amid the crisis, unemployment is on the rise, some of the most vulnerable workers need social protection, and employers need a reduction in taxation. The article aimed to compare the legal regulation of labor relations in crises as exemplified by the EU countries and Ukraine. The methodology is based on a comparative analysis of legal regulation and legislative initiatives in EU countries (using Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Ukraine as examples). LABREF and Eurostat databases have been used for the analysis. Results. In the context of the crisis, legislative changes are being introduced in EU countries, which have mainly been implemented after 2008 by different countries. However, some countries, like the Netherlands, are characterized by a high level of gradualism in labor market reforms and legislation, while others (Germany and Austria) adopted legislative changes after the 2008-2009 crisis. Ukraine lacked labor market reforms during the crisis, resulting in higher unemployment rates compared to EU countries. Furthermore, effective mechanisms to protect the most vulnerable (young people, older people, and families) were also lacking. In times of crisis, EU countries introduce active labor market regulation policies aiming to activate employment centers to tackle regional unemployment problems, cooperation between different stakeholders in labor relations and social dialogue, support for redundancies and employers in times of crisis, reduction of taxation and social contributions, promotion of youth employment, training and retraining of professionals. The 2008 crisis has resulted in increased political activity in most policy sectors in a large number of EU countries.