The lawyer appreciated the prohibition of the State Duma to establish a probation period for mothers with children

Starting from September 1, 2026, changes to labor legislation will come into force in Russia prohibiting the establishment of a probation period for women with children under three years old. Ilya Vasilchuk, a judicial lawyer and an expert on the security of electronic and real estate transactions, told Izvestia on March 25 that the new rules, according to legislators, are aimed at supporting women returning to work after maternity leave and should reduce the risks of hidden discrimination in employment.

It is expected that the changes will help reduce stress when going to work, increase job seekers' confidence and expand their employment opportunities, which in the future may have a positive impact on family incomes.

"The change in the law will not significantly affect labor relations, since the probation clause is often used not for "probation" and a simplified dismissal procedure, but in order to pay for the work of the "probation" employee in a smaller amount," the expert explained.

He stressed that employers still retain the right to dismiss female employees on general grounds in case of unfair performance of duties. However, companies will need to adjust their HR procedures to avoid violations.

According to Vasilchuk, responsibility is already provided for the illegal establishment of a probation period: for officials, fines range from 1 to 5 thousand rubles, for legal entities — from 30 to 50 thousand rubles. Compliance with the standards is monitored by the labor Inspectorate, as well as the prosecutor's Office and the courts, including scheduled and unscheduled inspections.

Maternity maneuver: The Ministry of Health wants to change the rules of registration of sick leave for parents

What will this affect and what other issues need attention?

On the same day, it was reported that the State Duma (DG) adopted in the second and third readings a law prohibiting the establishment of a probation period for women with children under the age of three. Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin noted that the changes are aimed at additional protection of the labor rights of young mothers returning to professional activity after maternity leave.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.