The President of Ukraine announced the establishment of the so-called international legion for foreign volunteers which will be part of Ukraine's territorial defence forces.

Volunteers can apply to the military attachés of the Ukrainian embassies in the relevant countries.  

However, before enlisting in a foreign army or a foreign military organization, a Polish citizen should remember to obtain a prior consent of the Minister of Interior and Administration, who gives such consent after consulting the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

If a Polish citizen undertakes military duties in a foreign army or military organization without obtaining the above-mentioned consent, he or she is exposed to criminal liability.

Given the above procedure, Polish citizens have time to settle their situation with their employer before reporting to the "international legion". They can therefore terminate their contract or agree with their employer on unpaid leave. If they fail to do so their absence from work may be considered an unpaid unexcused absence.

As a consequence, consideration may be given as to whether such an employee may be terminated on disciplinary grounds, although given the current dynamic situation each such case should be approached individually. 

Find more in the PRO HR March 2022.