PROBLEMS AND IMPROVEMENT AREAS OF LEGAL REGULATION OF CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES EMPLOYEES’ SOCIAL PROTECTION IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article focuses on identifying the needs and opportunities for improving the legal regulation of social protection of customs authorities employees in Ukraine. The paper highlights that today the legal regulation of social protection of customs employees is characterized by a number of problems, including the lack of appropriate inclusive approaches to personnel policy in the customs authorities, which causes risks for employees with disabilities, pregnant employees, etc.; formal and fragmentary delineation of certain measures of customs employees’ social protection in the Customs Code of Ukraine. Unresolved issues of the legal regulation of customs employees’ social protection create additional socio-legal risks for the level of social security of customs personnel, and demotivate the employees, which is an additional factor for the personnel crisis in the public service system. To solve these problems, the author proposes to create and approve the Conception of ensuring the standards for decent work and social security of customs officials for the period up to 2030, which will help to implement an inclusive approach to personnel policy in this government agency by means of ensuring gender equality among employees; creating a healthy psychological climate in the customs authorities; creating conditions for the integration of persons with disabilities and young able-bodied citizens without work experience into the working life by giving them the opportunity to work in the customs authorities. It is also proposed to make a number of amendments to the Customs Code of Ukraine, in particular, to improve the legal regulation of housing for customs officials, medical care and health care of customs officials and their families, including the regulation of funeral assistance for customs officials. The conclusions summarize the results of the research and emphasize the need for further analysis of the legal regulation of customs employees’ social protection in Ukraine.