The overtime limit in Russia may be increased to 240 hours.: what will change for employees

On January 28, 2026, the State Duma Committee on Labor supported a bill doubling the overtime limit from 120 to 240 hours per year. The initiative is aimed at combating staff shortages and rising salaries due to overwork with mandatory double pay. What restrictions will remain, what trade unions say, and what innovations await employees and employers can be found in the Izvestia article.

Why do they propose to increase the limit of overwork

At the moment, the Labor Code of the Russian Federation (Article 99 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation) sets the standard working time at 40 hours per week. Work outside of this schedule is considered overtime and is limited to no more than four hours on two consecutive days and 120 hours per year. The bill proposes to double the annual limit to 240 hours, while maintaining increased overtime pay.

As explained by Yaroslav Nilov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans' Affairs, the initiative arose after the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2025. According to him, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection are responsible for the preparation. The bill was submitted to the State Duma on December 19, 2025.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexander Kryazhev

— It's about giving some flexibility to existing forms of employment. This is dictated primarily by the current situation in the economy, the labor market and the needs of individual enterprises, especially industrial ones," the deputy said.

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Experts expect that this will help in the fight against personnel starvation.

The government believes that doubling the limit will allow to close about 100 thousand vacancies without hiring new employees and attract more than 750 thousand people to work. The main focus is on the growth of employees' incomes due to the mandatory payment of double overtime.

New conditions for overtime: payment and restrictions

The key requirement remains the voluntary nature of overwork. Written consent will be required for certain categories.

— The written consent requirement remains for pre-retirees, pensioners and those who work in hazardous industries. There are no additional restrictions on age or profession in the proposed version," Yaroslav Nilov emphasized.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Evgeny Pavlov

At the same time, it is proposed to maintain the current daily limits.

— During the day, processing should not exceed four hours. This restriction will apply, like all other norms of labor legislation," the deputy added.

Separately, the document stipulates that processing over 120 hours per year will be possible only if there is a collective agreement or an industry agreement. According to the authors of the initiative, this should become an additional mechanism for protecting employees.

"Trade union organizations, labor inspections and prosecutor's offices will be able to respond promptly to possible abuses," Nilov said.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

The trade unions, for their part, propose that starting from the 121st hour overtime should be paid in double or more amounts, rather than according to the wording "at least double", which is contained in the draft law. The specific coefficient, in their opinion, should be explicitly stated in the contract with the employee.

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Other changes in the Labor Code: from electronic document management to medical examination

The increase in the overwork limit is not the only change envisaged by the bill. The document proposes to expand the use of electronic personnel document management, including for recording occupational safety briefings. Through electronic systems, employers will be able to notify employees of layoffs.

It also provides for the possibility to recall employees employed in harmful or dangerous industries from vacation to eliminate the consequences of accidents, and for employees themselves, a notification period for switching to part-time work is introduced.

Photo: Global Look Press/Belkin Alexey

Yaroslav Nilov added that the project contains other elements of flexibility.

— It is proposed to expand the list of organizations where it is possible to conclude fixed-term employment contracts. This is also an additional tool for adapting the labor market to current conditions," he explained.

In addition, the document establishes the right of employees to undergo medical examinations at the expense of the employer, although, according to the deputy, this provision still needs to be clarified.

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Experts are arguing whether this will turn into a new round of price pressure and shadow schemes.

When can the changes take effect?

If the law is passed, it is proposed to introduce new rules starting from September 1, 2027. Until then, the document will have to be discussed in the State Duma and finalized, taking into account the positions of trade unions and employers.

The authors of the initiative emphasize that the key conditions remain voluntary overwork, enhanced control and increased wages. These mechanisms, according to their plan, should prevent abuse and make the new standards acceptable to both businesses and employees.