How to digitize an employment record book: step-by-step instructions

Because of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine, many businesses have stopped working, and people have lost contact with their employers or lost some documents, including employment records, which may have been kept by their previous employer. The absence of this document affects future employment; without it, you cannot be registered at the employment center and cannot apply for a pension.

In Ukraine, you can use an electronic employment record book. The lawyers of the NGO "Institute of Analysis and Advocacy" tell about what an electronic workbook is and how it works. Moreover, according to the law, all Ukrainians must digitize their employment records.

Thus, Ukraine is in the process of digitizing paper employment record books, which is a component of the transition to electronic labor records. According to the Law of Ukraine dated 05.02.2021 No. 1217-IX "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Recording Employee's Labor Activity in Electronic Form" (hereinafter - Law No. 1217), employers are required to submit information on the labor activity of employees to the Pension Fund in the form of scanned copies of paper labor records. This is how electronic work record books are created.

According to lawyers, electronic employment records are digital analogs of paper records. They have been officially in effect in Ukraine since June 10, 2021. They were introduced to improve the accounting of Ukrainians' labor activity and reduce paperwork. It also reduces the risk of loss or damage to documents.

There is no deadline for digitizing employment records

According to clause 2 of Section II "Final and Transitional Provisions" of Law No. 1217: the Pension Fund of Ukraine shall include the missing information on the employment of employees in the register of insured persons of the State Register of Compulsory State Social Insurance within five years from the date of entry into force of this Law on the basis of information submitted by the insured or the insured person in the manner and within the time limits established by the Pension Fund of Ukraine in agreement with the central executive body that provides the forms of employment record keeping.

Thus, in accordance with the requirements of the Law, the digitization of documents on the employment of insured persons must be completed by 10.06.2026.

How a sole proprietor must submit scanned copies of employment records of employees

Step 1. Log in to the Pension Fund web portal

The individual entrepreneur visits the official website and clicks the "Login" button.

Authorization is carried out using a qualified electronic signature (QES) or Diia.Signature.

After logging in, the user is taken to their personal account, where the Insured's Account tab is available(this tab is only available to those registered with the Pension Fund as an employer) - it is through this tab that the sole proprietor can submit documents regarding their employees.

Step 2. Go to the service for submitting scanned copies

In the menu, select:

This will open a form where you enter the employee's data:

- last name, first name, patronymic;

- registration number of the taxpayer's account card (RNOKPP).

Step 3. Uploading documents

The sole proprietor shall attach scanned copies of the employee's employment record book (all pages containing records of employment).

The files must be in PDF, JPG format and of sufficient quality to be readable.

Step 4. Sign and send

After the data is verified, the document is signed by the sole proprietor's electronic signature and sent to the Pension Fund of Ukraine via the web portal.

Step 5. Monitoring the result

The status of processing the submitted documents can be viewed in the "Incoming / Sent documents" section.

After verification, information about the employee's employment history will be entered into the Register of Insured Persons, which guarantees that it will be taken into account in the subsequent pension calculation.

Can I submit scanned copies of my employment record book to the Pension Fund on my own?

Employees can submit scanned copies of their employment record books to the Pension Fund themselves. To do this:

1. Log in to the Pension Fund web portal:

Log in using QES, BankID or Diia.Signature.

1. Go to the appropriate section:

In the menu, select "Communications with PFU" and then "Information on labor relations".

1. Fill in the data and give your consent:

Enter your details and consent to the processing of personal data.

1. Upload scans:

Scanned copies of all completed pages of the employment record book must be clear, in color, with text, seals and signatures. File format - JPG or PDF, size - up to 1 MB, recommended quality - 300 dpi.

1. Submit your request:

Click "Sign and send to the Pension Fund".

1. Check the status:

You can view the status of processing in the "My requests" section.

Do I need to scan new records if I have already submitted an employment record?

No. Scanned copies of the employment record book are submitted once. New records are automatically added to the electronic employment record.

What is the difference between scanning and digitization?

Scanning is the creation of employment record book files (images) that you send to the Pension Fund portal. The fund's specialists transfer the data to the electronic system themselves.

Digitization is when you make all the records yourself in the electronic employment record through the insured's or employee's account, adding scans as confirmation.

How do I know if a scanned copy has been accepted?

When the status "Completed" appears in your account on the Pension Fund portal, it means that the scanned copies have been processed and the employment data has been updated.

Check the "Messages" tab - there may be clarifications or comments.

Володимир Шкаєв