Support and Employment of Veterans and Their Families

PROBLEMATIC SITUATION

After the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country faced a large-scale mobilization.
The company encountered a critical challenge – how to support colleagues who had joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, addressing needs ranging from essential equipment to rehabilitation and social reintegration after returning from service.

At that time, Ukraine had no state or corporate standards for supporting mobilized employees or veterans. Businesses lacked established tools for reintegrating defenders into the workplace or assisting their families during active service.

SOLUTION

In 2022, Darnitsa developed and launched a corporate support program for mobilized employees, veterans, and their families – including families of fallen defenders – called “Our Strong Ones” (“Наші сильні”).
The program continues to expand and evolve, addressing the growing needs of employees affected by war.

The “Our Strong Ones” program focuses on key areas such as psychological and medical assistance, professional adaptation and development, social integration, and the promotion of ethical communication and respect for veterans in society.

Main Areas of Support for Defenders

• Retention of job position and salary during service;

• Provision of essential equipment – up to UAH 75,000 per person;

• Premium medical insurance;

• Psychological support – 24 individual consultations per year and a veterans’ emotional support group;

• Legal assistance – 5 consultations per year;

• Physical rehabilitation: spa treatment, wheelchairs, crutches;

• Financial assistance for treatment, rehabilitation, or medication in case of injury;

• Comprehensive return-to-work support and adaptation program;

• Fulfilling requests through the corporate volunteer initiative “We Are Together” (“Ми разом”);

• Sabbatical or flexible schedule (where compatible with role duties);

• Family and child support in cases of injury or death of a defender.

Support for Families of Defenders

• Individual and group psychological sessions for employees whose relatives serve, are veterans, or were killed in action;

• Legal support (up to 5 consultations);

• One-time financial assistance to families of fallen employees – UAH 100,000;

• Monthly payments to children of fallen defenders – 50% of the parent’s salary until adulthood;

• Assistance to families in case of injury or medical treatment of a defender.

Support for Managers and HR Professionals

• Training on effective communication and reintegration of veterans;

• Mandatory learning course “Veteran’s Return” on the corporate LMC platform before reintegration;

• Ethical Communication Handbook;

• Self-help and trauma resilience training (based on Israeli Trauma Coalition standards);

• Dedicated onboarding section for veterans on the corporate portal (guides, checklists, procedures).

For the Entire Darnitsa Team

• Development of a military-informed corporate culture;

• All internal communications are based on principles of respect, gratitude, and sensitivity to combat and veteran experience;

• Regular commemorative events honoring veterans and fallen heroes;

• Promotion of corporate volunteerism through the “We Are Together” community;

• Webinars for employees on the challenges of veterans’ transition to civilian life;

• Reframing of national holidays, commemorations, and internal communication to reflect respect for the military experience.

Additionally, Darnitsa:

• Signed a memorandum of cooperation with Veteran Hub;

• Developed the Policy for Supporting Mobilized Employees, Veterans, and Their Families, and an Ethical Communication Guide jointly with Veteran Hub;

• Became one of the first companies in Ukraine to sign the Veteran-Friendly Business Principles – 12 key commitments guiding company actions to support defenders and their families across corporate culture, services, communication, and engagement;

• Holds a daily moment of silence at 9:00 a.m. across offices and production sites to honor the fallen;

• Established a “Heroes’ Memory” community to commemorate fallen colleagues;

• Ensures that all corporate communications reflect the values of gratitude, respect, and sensitivity to the experiences of veterans and defenders.

RESULTS

• Employees created a corporate volunteer initiative “We Are Together”, which has raised over UAH 6 million to meet the needs of mobilized colleagues and their families.
  100% of employees have joined the community, with 20% actively volunteering.

• A military-informed corporate culture has been formed, emphasizing empathy, respect, and readiness to support colleagues with combat experience.

• The company has established a model business practice, now adopted by other Ukrainian organizations.

• According to the employer brand survey, over 60% of employees identified support for the military as one of Darnitsa’s strongest attributes.

• The program has significantly increased employee loyalty, engagement, and trust, strengthening internal unity and pride in the company – confirmed by ENPS results and national recognition.

RECOGNITION AND AWARDS

Darnitsa has solidified its position as a responsible employer that consistently supports military personnel and their families.

• The “Our Strong Ones” program was recognized by experts from NV and Odgers Berndtson.

• Darnitsa was included in the ranking of the most veteran-friendly companies in Ukraine, compiled by Top Lead, an analytical agency specializing in corporate and market research.

• The company was also named among the Top 10 Family-Friendly Companies in Ukraine (2023) for its ongoing support of employees and their families.