From Zelh with care: how we support our teams during war

Support strategies from Zelh’s HR specialists for our Ukrainian teams

February 24th, 2022 was the day when the lives of all Ukrainians turned upside down.
As the bravest men of Ukraine put their lives to defend our country, many of us left our homes in search of shelter for our children. Many of us, however, are still here, working, volunteering, and doing our best to help those underground and those who see their homes being destroyed right before their eyes.

“In this article, we would like to share some practices that our HR specialists implement to support our Ukrainian teams — those onsite and those working far, far away from home. How do we stay productive in the times no one has ever been prepared for? Spoiler: we do it all together”

– Zelh Family

Mental health

Whether in a safe place or not, Ukrainians all over the globe are experiencing a huge psychological trauma. Maintaining mental wellbeing is not just the most crucial pillar — it’s the hardest part in times like these. Here’s how we support our teams and remind them to take care of themselves even when it feels impossible.

Whether in a safe place or not, Ukrainians all over the globe are experiencing a huge psychological trauma. Maintaining mental wellbeing is not just the most crucial pillar — it’s the hardest part in times like these. Here’s

01. Responding to panic.

• Panic is a natural body response to the terror. But we kindly ask our teammates to remember that there are very few things that we can change or control, and our reaction is one of them. Our HR specialists advise the teams to stop thinking of the past and focus on the precise moment of now: breathe well, think of the best scenario in the current situation, and act accordingly.

02. The guilt of safety.

• Many of those who managed to leave the country can’t help but feel ashamed of being in a safer situation than their compatriots. Although such thoughts are natural, they’re also destructive: the more Ukrainians are safe, the more power we will have to come back and rebuild our beautiful country.

03. Health first!

• When under stress, physical activity is the best weapon to fight it. We remind our employees to not give up on their regular exercises, diet, and drinking regimen — these basics are essentials. The same goes for news monitoring: too much news can destabilize anyone.

04. Constant communication & support.

• In Ukraine, the phrase “how are you” now means 
“I love and care about you”: no email starts without asking the person about how they feel and if their close ones are safe. Now, regular communication via Slack chats and Zoom calls is what helps us all create an environment of mutual calm, care, and trust.

Relocation & financial support

Having an office in Lviv, Ivano Frankivsk, Lutsk, Odesa) — the western regions of Ukraine — and Romania allows us to coordinate relocation for our teams, as well as provide financial help to those leaving Ukraine and entering other shelters abroad.

01. Workplace guarantees.

• We’ve made sure each member of our Ukrainian staff gets their salaries and social packages timely and unchanged.

02. Relocation to Lviv and Bucharest.

• Lots of Zelh people have moved to our offices in Lviv and Bucharest.

03. Teams moving abroad.

• Zelh provides financial support to employees who need to leave the country urgently and helps to settle down abroad.

Job opportunities in EU & worldwide

It’s no secret that many fleeing Ukrainians have lost their jobs hiding underground or moving abroad. At this point, the HR team of Zelh sets all their power into motion.

01. Open vacancies in Western Ukraine.

• We offer remote positions in IT, Engineering, and many more industries for everyone from Eastern and Central Ukraine who lost their jobs and are looking for a better future in Western Ukraine.

02. Remote jobs for Ukrainian refugees in the EU & worldwide.

• Many of our amazing talents have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Zelh HR professionals are currently in search of Ukrainian refugees in need of remote jobs. We want to support all our compatriots who had to leave their homes, offering good compensation, care, and the beloved Ukrainian spirit.

03. Launching new offices in Poland and the Czech Republic.

• As a global company with an international presence, we are working on broadening our horizons in Europe — Poland and the Czech Republic are on our active radar. Since there will now be more Ukrainians, we want to stay connected as much as possible.

Stronger together

As a staffing provider that matches great companies worldwide with talents from Ukraine, our core goal now is to go on helping Ukrainians grow and work, no matter the circumstances. The potential of Ukraine has always been unlimited, and our company is directing its resources on donating our army and volunteering, so we could unleash that potential and show it to our global customers when the war is over.

“We are full of courage and we believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and in our victory. There hasn’t been a day we didn’t work, because working and helping our people is our way to fight! After our victory, we are destined to have remarkable economic development and attract even more new customers who want to work with Ukraine — one of the strongest countries in all terms!”

– Khrystyna Zinko, Regional Director of HR at Zelh