Vacancy announcements will be checked for discriminatory language
8 May 11:56
Starting May 8, 2025, the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection will launch a new area of work – control over the content of job advertisements. This was reported by the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
All ads published by employers or recruitment agencies will be monitored.
What exactly will be checked
The State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection experts will focus on identifying discriminatory language based on age, gender, health status, race, or ethnicity. For example, phrases in advertisements such as “under 35”, “young team”, “only for women/men” will definitely be a reason to respond.
During inspections, experts will also pay attention to signs of manipulation, such as exaggerated salaries without specifying the conditions, omission of important information (for example, night shifts or probationary period), and the use of unclear or misleading wording.
Andriy Kreitor, Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, advised employers to review their advertisements and bring them in line with the requirements of the law. According to him, this will not only avoid fines, but also help maintain the trust of candidates.
The official also suggested that if citizens notice discriminatory or misleading vacancies, they should record the violations and contact the territorial offices of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.
What regulates the new area of inspections?
This is stipulated by the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on the Delimitation of Powers of Central Executive Authorities in the Fields of Industrial Safety, Labor Protection, Handling of Industrial Explosives, State Mining Supervision, State Supervision and Control over Compliance with Labor and Employment Legislation”. It is this document that empowers the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection to monitor compliance with advertising laws in terms of employment.
What are the requirements for the texts of advertisements?
All job advertisements must comply with the requirements of the Law of Ukraine “On Advertising”, in particular
– it is prohibited to make requirements in job advertisements (recruitment) based on race, skin color, age, gender, health status, disability, suspected or existing HIV/AIDS, sexual orientation, political, religious and other beliefs, membership in trade unions or other public associations, ethnic and social origin, marital and property status, place of residence, language or other characteristics not related to the nature of work or conditions of its performance;
– the text of advertising about the activities of a business entity providing employment agency services in Ukraine or abroad must contain a note as follows: “It is prohibited to receive fees, commissions or other remuneration from citizens for the provision of job search and employment assistance services and other related services.”
In case of violation of these requirements, the advertiser may be fined ten times the minimum wage established by law at the time of the violation.
What is happening in the advertising market
The All-Ukrainian Advertising Coalition summarized the results of the past year and shared its forecasts for 2025, while Kyivstar Business Hub focused on the main trends.
The review notes that TV advertising and direct advertising remain the main drivers of the market. In 2024, TV advertising increased by 50%, and direct advertising by 51%. These categories are expected to continue growing in 2025, although the growth rates will be more moderate (24% and 23%, respectively).
Digital media also showed significant growth, up 22% in 2024, and is projected to be one of the most promising categories in the future. In particular, Digital TV grew by 67% in 2024 and will continue to grow, albeit at a slightly lower rate of 20% in 2025.
Press advertising also shows positive dynamics, although its growth rate is much lower (8% in 2024). In particular, the national press showed an increase of 10%, and the regional press – 9%.
OOH media (out of home) was another sector with significant growth – 43% in 2024. This is all thanks to the development of digital technologies, such as DOOH (digital out-of-home), which showed 58% growth in 2024.
Radio advertising is also showing moderate growth – 20% in 2024, with a forecast of 25% next year. Overall, radio remains an important channel for national and regional advertisers.
Despite all the challenges, the All-Ukrainian Advertising Coalition expects further market growth in 2025, but at a moderate pace of about 18%.
