In the Code of Labor Laws (Part 3, Article 184), the dismissal of pregnant women and women with children under the age of three (up to six years – Part 6, Article 179 of the Labor Code of Ukraine), single mothers with a child under the age of fourteen or a child with a disability at the initiative of the employer is not allowed. But this does not apply to cases of complete liquidation of an enterprise, institution, or organization, when dismissal with mandatory employment is allowed.
During the period of martial law (Part 1, Article 5 of the Law “On the Organization of Labor Relations in Conditions of Martial Law”), it is allowed to dismiss an employee at the initiative of the employer during the period of his temporary incapacity, as well as during the period of the employee’s stay on vacation (except vacation in due to pregnancy and childbirth and leave to care for a child until the child reaches three years of age) with an indication of the date of dismissal, which is the first working day following the end of the temporary incapacity for work specified in the document on temporary incapacity for work, or the first working day after the end of the leave.
Therefore, dismissal of an employee who is on leave to care for a child before the child reaches the age of three at the initiative of the employer during martial law is a violation of labor legislation. If the dismissal did take place, the employee has the right to go to court to resolve the labor dispute.