Electronic HR documents: how to comply with the law in 2025

The digitization of HR document management has been a trend in recent years. However, many HR professionals are still concerned about the legality of electronic document management in HR.

Ukrainian legislation allows HR documents to be processed electronically, but only if certain requirements are met. In this article, we will look at the current regulations governing electronic HR document management in Ukraine in 2025.

Electronic personnel documents: what does the law say in 2025?

The legality of electronic documents is confirmed by the following regulatory acts:

• Law of Ukraine «On Electronic Documents and Electronic Document Management»;
• Law of Ukraine «On Electronic Trust Services»;
• Article 7 of the Law of Ukraine «On the Organization of Labor Relations under Martial Law»;
• Articles 29, 60-2 of the Labor Code of Ukraine.

Changes in legislation caused by martial law have expanded the possibilities for electronic HR document management, allowing for the digitization of following processes.

Familiarizing employees with HR documents

Part 2 of Article 3 of the Law of Ukraine «On the Organization of Labor Relations under Martial Law» allows companies to use any means of electronic communication — not only services of e-document management, but also email, messengers, etc.

This allows HR managers to familiarize remote employees with internal documents when hiring, transferring, dismissing, etc. A mandatory condition is the mutual consent of the employer and the employee, recorded in writing.

Storage of personnel documents

In October 2022, Order No. 1886/5 was amended, allowing personnel documents to be stored in electronic form. The new provisions stipulate that:

• Electronic documents no longer need to be approved by archival institutions. This simplifies bureaucratic procedures between the company and government agencies.
• Documents for temporary storage for up to 10 years do not have to be created in paper form. Vacation requests, vacation schedules, and other personnel documents can be created in electronic form without duplication on paper.
• Documents for long-term and permanent storage do not require paper originals. If necessary, it is sufficient to print them from the digital service where they are stored.

Order No. 1886/5 stipulates that the paper form of an electronic document is its certified paper copy, created in accordance with the company’s record keeping instructions.

Changes in legislation provide ample opportunities for the implementation of electronic HR document management in business. Let’s consider how to implement this in practice.

How companies can manage HR document flow online

The transition to electronic HR document flow consists of the following steps.

Step 1. Develop internal instructions. Before switching to electronic HR documents, it is necessary to develop internal instructions and regulations at the company that describe the processes related to electronic documents.

Step 2. Written agreement with employees. In its commentary dated July 19, 2022, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine recommends that the parties record their agreement on the use of electronic HR document management in writing. The written agreement should specify the electronic document management service that the company plans to use, the employee’s address or telephone number for official communication on personnel issues, or other means of electronic communication.

Court practice also confirms the need for prior consent of the parties to the introduction of electronic HR document management (for example, Supreme Court Resolution No. 686/21222/16-ц dated December 3, 2018).

Step 3. Selecting a provider. If the company has decided to use a digital service for HR document management, the next step is to select a provider and register employees in the system.

How the Vchasno.Kadry service helps companies streamline HR processes

Digital service providers offer specialized solutions for HR document management. For example, the Vchasno.Kadry service allows you to fully automate HR processes such as hiring, vacation requests, and more.

The service has templates for all necessary documents. Employees can sign them in a few clicks and set up the document approval path in accordance with the company’s HR policy.

Documents are stored in a secure cloud archive, so they are not lost and do not require a separate storage room. The necessary document can be quickly found for HR verification.

The Vchasno.Kadry service helps companies in various industries organize their HR processes. It is most beneficial for companies with a complex structure and a large staff.

For example, Radehivskyi Tsukor, a company with over 1 000 employees, digitized its HR records in 2023 by integrating the Vchasno service with its own CRM system. This saved HR inspectors 80% of their working time. Using Vchasno.QES electronic signatures, the company signed over 1 850 electronic HR documents.

The Vchasno.Kadry service is the optimal solution for companies that have problems with individual HR processes. For example, in the pharmaceutical company YURiA-PHARM, such a process was vacation registration. The company employs over 3 000 employees, and the HR department receives from 300 to 500 vacation applications every month. Each document went through a long approval process.

Ukrainian legislation in 2025 clearly confirms the legality of electronic personnel documents. Thanks to the changes, companies have the full right to draw up, familiarize employees with and store personnel documents in electronic form, which significantly simplifies and speeds up internal HR processes.

This opens up new opportunities for digitalization, allowing enterprises to more effectively manage personnel and optimize their work.