From October 2024 until the end of last year, in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), we offered free employment-related counselling to Ukrainian refugees living in Estonia. We asked Olga Vaarmann, a lawyer at the Estonian Human Rights Centre, about the challenges Ukrainians face in the Estonian labor market.

The Estonian Human Rights Centre provided advice to Ukrainians who fled the war and are either working or seeking work in Estonia—by phone, email, and in person at the Tallinn Migration Centre. According to Olga, the in-person consultations were the most effective. “Work-related issues are complex on their own, as they bring together various factors—financial, psychological, and more. For someone starting a new life abroad, additional challenges arise, such as finding affordable accommodation near work, or even locating a school or kindergarten. On-site, the specialists at the Migration Centre were able to help address these latter issues.”

Unpaid wages, unclear job responsibilities, verbal agreements

Almost everyone, regardless of age, needed employment-related advice. However, the concerns of Ukrainian men and women working in Estonia differed. “Men, mostly employed in manufacturing and construction, came to us primarily because of money—they were sometimes paid less than agreed, received only one month’s salary, or were not paid at all. Women working in service or catering sectors faced intolerable working conditions, unclear job responsibilities, and workplace harassment,” Olga explains. “Sometimes, the job descriptions were so vague that additional tasks could be assigned on the spot.”

During the counselling sessions, it became clear how easily refugees who do not speak the local language can fall victim to workplace exploitation. “Employment contracts, subcontracting agreements, and service contracts may sound similar by name, but their content is very different,” Olga says. “One Ukrainian woman who had signed an Estonian-language contract in good faith was shocked to discover that she was not entitled to any vacation— let alone vacation pay.” Curiously, some contracts listed obligations only for the employee!

Ukrainians generally do not see anything unusual in agreeing verbally on work and pay. “They don’t realize that they should be alarmed if the employer gives only verbal promises or if the agreement is unsigned,” Olga explains, highlighting how cultural differences at work can become problematic. “Estonians are more familiar with the local system and know how to assert their rights. Ukrainians may not realize, for example, that warranty repairs do not apply if they try to fix things themselves, or that they can apply for compensation if a workplace accident occurs.”

In summary, lack of Estonian language skills and limited knowledge of their rights and obligations are the main risks for Ukrainian job seekers. Asserting one’s rights also requires money. “It’s a real catch-22,” Olga agrees. “Refugees usually cannot afford to lose their jobs.”