In some large companies, several hundred employees have already returned from the war and are already working in their places. Companies provide them with medical and psychological aid, create new positions in teams aimed at supporting people with combat experience who are adapting to civilian life. The Page asked representatives of more than ten Ukrainian companies about how they return veterans to work. In particular, we are talking about the experience of Metinvest Group.
So far, 1300 people have been demobilised at Metinvest. More than 500 veterans have already returned to work.
How veterans are cared for after returning to civilian life
"We study the best foreign practices and develop our own ones in order to adequately meet people who are our DNA with proven experience, qualifications and skills," said Tetiana PETRUK, Director for Sustainable Development and Human Resources at Metinvest Group.
The main areas of work with the company's veterans include rehabilitation and additional medical examination. In particular, the company pays attention to the health and psycho-emotional state of veterans, studies the possibility of introducing its own rehabilitation programmes.
The company organises treatment for seriously injured employees. It also helps employees who lost limbs in the war with prosthetics. More than 100 people take part in the joint programme of Metinvest and Protez Hub. In October 2023, the company became one of the organisers of more than 30 reconstructive surgeries on the face and neck for wounded defenders of Ukraine. Among those got operated are two employees of Metinvest and four military personnel from the regions where the company operates: Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions. Surgeries were free of charge for all casualties.
How veterans are helped return to work
Metinvest veterans will be able to undergo retraining programmes, and as part of the mentoring programm, they are helped to renew their professional knowledge and skills. The company also provides an opportunity to undergo free retraining for veterans who, for some reason, cannot return to their previous position. And it offers preferential conditions for admission to the non-state university "Metinvest Polytechnic".
How teams are prepared for the return of veterans
Metinvest has developed programmes to prepare managers and teams for the return of veterans. They are aimed at helping the employees understand how to get on with the colleagues who have gone through the war, and the managers how to predict conflicts in the team.
Recently, the heads of all production assets and the management company of Metinvest Group took part in a training tour in the United States to study the world's best practices in dealing with veterans. Twenty-three thousand employees of the company were trained on the topic "Heroes Among Us". The company plans to introduce psychological first aid training and recovery programmes for all employees.
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