An employer has no legal right to force an employee to terminate an employment contract of their own free will. In modern labor market realities, situations often arise where company management attempts to get rid of unwanted staff without paying proper severance compensation during layoffs, resorting to various methods of psychological or administrative pressure.
Algorithm of Actions in Case of Management Pressure
If an employee faces pressure from the administration, labor law experts strongly recommend keeping a cool head and immediately starting to collect evidence. Convincing arguments for future proceedings can include audio or video recordings of conversations, official memos, management orders, and screenshots of work correspondence in messengers and corporate email.
Possibility of Judicial Protection and Appeal to State Authorities
In the event that unlawful pressure bore fruit and the citizen, under psychological pressure, signed an application for dismissal "of their own free will," they retain the legal right to defend their interests. The injured party can send an official complaint regarding the unlawful actions of the employer to the State Labor Service of Ukraine, which oversees compliance with labor legislation.
Judicial Perspective and Restoration of Violated Rights
In addition, current legislation allows filing a lawsuit in court demanding that such dismissal be declared invalid. A key argument in court will be proof that the termination of employment relations occurred under external coercion and categorically did not correspond to the real will of the employee.
