Russia | Overview of changes to labor law effective September 1, 2026

In 2026, the changes will be targeted—legislation will be adapted to current realities, protections for certain categories of workers will be strengthened, and administrative procedures will be updated.

Effective September 1, 2026, amendments will be made to labor legislation, including the Labor Code of the Russian Federation:

Ban on Probationary Periods for Women Upon Hiring to Be Expanded (Federal Law No. 91-FZ of April 9, 2026)

Amendments to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation have been published that will prohibit employers from imposing a probationary period on women when hiring them if they have children under the age of 3. Currently, the ban applies if the child is under one and a half years old.

Overtime limit.

The annual limit has been increased to 240 hours, but only if this is expressly provided for in a collective or industry-wide agreement. However, for certain categories (workers in hazardous conditions of subclasses 3.3 and 3.4, and part-time employees in government agencies), the previous limit of 120 hours remains in effect.

For certain other categories (for example, individuals of retirement age or employees working in hazardous conditions of subclasses 3.1 and 3.2), requiring them to work more than 120 hours of overtime per year is permitted only with their written consent and provided there are no medical contraindications.

Overtime work will be permitted for no more than 4 hours per day. Previously, the rule was “no more than 4 hours over two consecutive days.” In other words, it was possible to work 4 hours of overtime on one day, but not on the following day.

Changes: The law replaced this provision with “no more than 4 hours per day.” This means that employers are now entitled to require employees to work overtime every day, but for no longer than 4 hours.

Those who have worked more than 120 hours per year will be able to take one day off each year for a medical checkup.

Overtime Pay.

The calculation basis now includes not only the base salary but also compensation and incentive payments. The first two hours are paid at no less than one and a half times the regular rate; subsequent hours are paid at no less than double the regular rate. Starting with the 121st hour of the year, all hours are paid at no less than double the regular rate.

Part-Time Work. Starting September 1, 2026, an employer is required to review an employee’s request (from a pregnant woman, a parent of a child under 14, or an employee caring for a sick family member) no later than 5 business days from the date of submission.

Recall from Vacation. For employees working in harmful or hazardous conditions, recall from vacation will be permitted only in exceptional cases (disaster, accident, natural disaster). The unused portion of the vacation, at the employee’s discretion, will either be granted at a convenient time during the current work year or carried over to the following year’s vacation. Hours worked by an employee during such a recall will be paid at no less than double the regular rate (similar to being called in to work on weekends).

Previously, an absolute ban was in effect. Under no circumstances was an employer permitted to recall employees engaged in work involving harmful and/or hazardous working conditions from their annual leave.

However, the absolute ban remains in effect for minors and pregnant women.

Dismissal for theft. The grounds for dismissal have been expanded (subparagraph “d” of paragraph 6, Part 1 of Article 81 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation): now, an employee may be dismissed not only upon a final court conviction, but also if the criminal case has been dismissed on grounds that do not result in rehabilitation (for example, if a court fine has been imposed).

New provisions regarding drivers’ working hours and rest periods will take effect (Order of the Russian Ministry of Transport No. 160, dated April 14, 2026)

This order is effective until September 1, 2032. The new provisions differ only slightly from the current ones. In particular, a clarification will be added stating that the break between two parts of the workday or driver shifts may be scheduled immediately after the lunch break. The lunch break must be provided no later than 5 hours after the start of the workday.

More small businesses will be able to hire employees under fixed-term employment contracts

For small and medium-sized enterprises (excluding retail trade and personal services), the limit on the number of employees for whom fixed-term contracts may be concluded by mutual agreement has been increased from 35 to 70. For retail trade and personal services, the limit remains at 20 employees. It is important to note that even under the new limit, the employer is required to specify the temporary nature of the employment in the contract; otherwise, there is a risk that the contract will be reclassified as an indefinite-term contract.

The list of employees with priority rights in the event of layoffs will be expanded (Federal Law No. 108-FZ of April 25, 2026)

The list will include specialists who have returned to the organization, in particular after military service following mobilization. These employees must be given preference when other employees have equal productivity and qualifications.

Paper medical records may be issued until September 1, 2026 (Order of the Russian Ministry of Health No. 457n dated July 30, 2025)

The transition period during which paper medical records may be issued and maintained has been extended for another year.

Changes to the rules for meeting the quota for hiring people with disabilities will take effect (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 575 dated May 21, 2026).

The list of categories of people with disabilities will be expanded; when such individuals are hired directly by an employer, fulfillment of the quota will be counted as equivalent to two positions. The list will include people with disabilities who are combat veterans and who, between October 1, 2022, and September 1, 2023, entered into agreements with the Ministry of Defense, among other entities. These individuals performed duties in special units of military formations during the special military operation.

The list of jobs for which the SOUT is administered under special conditions will be expanded (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 39 of January 26, 2026)

The list of workplaces subject to special occupational safety assessments—taking into account specific characteristics (as established by the Ministry of Labor)—has been revised.

In particular, the new version sets forth a list of types of activities that determine which small businesses are eligible to conduct special occupational safety assessments under a simplified procedure. Previously, this simplified procedure was available only to microenterprises (up to 15 employees, revenue up to 120 million rubles) in 12 specific sectors. The updated list includes 55 types of activities and covers workplaces at both microenterprises and small businesses.

Until October 1, 2026, certain Moldovan citizens have been permitted to work in Russia without a work permit

(Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 520 of July 25, 2025)

Moldovan citizens who arrived in the Russian Federation between October 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026, may work without a work permit through October 1, 2026, inclusive. The stated purpose of the visit will not be taken into account. However, such specialists must undergo identity verification via fingerprinting and a medical examination. They must present their employer with a document confirming that they have undergone fingerprinting and had their photograph taken.

To work after October 1, 2026, it will be possible to apply for a work permit without regard to deadlines for submitting documents or the stated purpose of the visit, and without having to leave the Russian Federation.