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- Decree as a verdict: why business is afraid of mothers with children under three years old
Decree as a verdict: why business is afraid of mothers with children under three years old
While employers complain about staff shortages, recruiters trumpet shortages, and demographers and sociologists make disappointing forecasts, a large army of potential employees remains in the shadows. They are in the prime of life, and they often have high qualifications and necessary competencies — they are young mothers with young children. The State is actively taking measures, issuing new laws and amendments to support working women with children. Read about the difficulties young mothers face in finding employment, why they are the best employees, and whether the law works in the Izvestia article.
The law is on the side of mothers
The Labor Code of the Russian Federation provides women with young children with extended guarantees that should provide unconditional protection in employment. 64 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, which prohibits refusing to conclude an employment contract for reasons related to the presence of children.
According to Pavel Tikhonov, Deputy Director for Work with government Agencies at Avito, there are no restrictions on the employment of women with children in Russian labor legislation. On the contrary, the Labor Code of the Russian Federation provides a number of additional guarantees for this category of applicants both at the stage of employment and in the process of employment. At the same time, in practice, the key factors influencing the employer's decision are the employment format, the specifics of production processes and the willingness of the parties to cooperate flexibly.
In 2026, there will also be a tightening of the rules governing probation for women with children. Previously, the law forbade setting a test period for mothers with children under one and a half years old. Starting from September 1, 2026, according to the bill adopted by the State Duma, this measure will apply to mothers with children under three years old.
In the press service hh.ru It is explained that this particular innovation is becoming a "headache" for the business: the employer is obliged to accept the employee immediately on a permanent basis, without being able to provide a probation clause in the contract. It will be impossible to dismiss such an employee if she does not cope according to the article "as having failed the test".
Stanislav Tarakanov, General Director of the President Recruitment Center, confirms that the norms related to dismissal are observed much more strictly than the admission rules.
— For example, the ban on refusal of employment actually does not work. It is almost impossible to prove that you were rejected precisely because of the child, but there is a phrase "a more suitable candidate was chosen" or "the vacancy was suspended." The norms related to dismissal are observed much more strictly. The employer already has real risks here: courts, inspections, fines," Tarakanov comments to Izvestia.
The specifics of women's work with young children
After successful employment, a working mother can count on special working conditions, which businesses often perceive as a burden. 93 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation obliges an employer to establish a part-time or part-time work week at the request of a woman with a child under the age of 14. Pavel Tikhonov notes that this is one of the most effective standards that allow you to return to work smoothly and combine work with child care.
In addition, for employees with children under three years old, there are restrictions on engaging in overtime, business trips and night shifts without written consent, as well as the right to additional breaks for feeding the child (art. 258 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).
— One of the key concerns of employers, according to our analysis and employer reviews, is the high burden on the social package and the management process. The Labor Code of the Russian Federation provides extended guarantees to this category of employees. This requires more flexible personnel management, and, alas, not all companies are ready for this, which, of course, cannot be an excuse," the press service told Izvestia. hh.ru .
However, as Sergey Yaskin, director of the Avito Part-time employment service, notes, women with young children themselves are often interested in flexible formats: part-time, remote employment or shift work with the possibility of adjusting the start and end time of activities.
— Judging by the results of a survey of working mothers of preschoolers, young women today lack the following measures of support from employers: in the first place is a request for flexible working hours, in the second place is the opportunity to receive financial assistance, in the third place is the transition to remote work or additional days off or days off, — the press service told Izvestia.the Superjob service.
Why Employers are wary of hiring young mothers
From a business point of view, hiring an employee with children under three years of age involves a set of risks that employers have learned to calculate.
— To be honest, the question here is not about attitudes or any kind of prejudice. The employer primarily considers the risks. And he does it quite mundane: who will close the tasks if a person starts to regularly drop out of the process. When it comes to employees with children under three, businesses almost always keep a few things in mind. Firstly, these are sick days, especially during the period when the child goes to kindergarten. Secondly, there are schedule restrictions: not everyone will be able to stay late and be in touch at non-standard times. Thirdly, there is always the possibility of a second decree," explains Stanislav Tarakanov.
These risks are particularly acute in small and medium-sized businesses.
— One of our clients had a case. There are 15 people in the office department, seven of them are on maternity leave. At some point, the business started optimizing. They began to reduce those who can, employees without children and with full-time jobs. The employees on maternity leave remained on staff. The burden fell on the remaining employees, which led to a decrease in manageability. After such stories, the employer begins to think one step ahead at the hiring stage," Cockroaches cites a case from practice.
In the press service hh.ru there is another factor associated with the inability to verify the employee before the final registration. Since the probation ban will be extended to three years from September 1, 2026, entrepreneurs will lose the legal tool for evaluating a new specialist. This, according to analysts of the service, makes businesses even more selective in their approach to candidates, fearing to get an "unwilling" employee who may not be able to cope with his duties.
Maternity penalty
The formal reluctance to hire young mothers hides a deeper social problem, which is called the "motherhood penalty" in gender studies.
— There is a popular opinion that if, according to the legislation, there is no discrimination in the country, then in fact there is no discrimination. But in fact, it is much more difficult to enforce formal rules than it seems. The idea that taking care of a child is a mother's task is still considered and actively promoted in Russian society," Yulia Gavrilova, Master of Gender Studies, author of a blog about the history of women, told Izvestia.
According to Gavrilova, a woman who performs the important function of giving birth and raising children is constantly faced with the fact that society does not encourage her for this, but punishes her. Employers often perceive mothers as less reliable employees.
— It is assumed that they will take sick leave more often, leave earlier or refuse to work overtime. Moreover, it is almost impossible to identify such a cognitive distortion or hiring policy from the outside. This remains at the discretion of the employer, and formally the reason for the refusal may be different," concludes Gavrilova.
The Superjob press service also says that the tacit bias against young women in some companies still persists, but mostly the prejudice concerns married but childless people.
Paradoxically, it is precisely those laws that are designed to protect mothers as much as possible (for example, the ban on firing women with children under three years old) that, according to some experts, work against them, according to Valeria Kasamara, a sociologist at the Higher School of Economics and director of the Association of Organizers of Student Olympiads "I am a Professional."
"Those measures that create conditions for employment and career, and not just impose prohibitions, work well," Kasamara shared in a dialogue with Izvestia.
The sociologist cites various positive measures as an example. For example, infrastructure solutions such as affordable nurseries and kindergartens, incentive solutions (tax deductions for working parents, grants for companies implementing flexible formats) and active support measures (job fairs, individual support in recruitment centers).
— Such tools work systematically, because they do not create the fear of a "neglected" employee in a business, but form an environment where work and motherhood are compatible according to the family's choice. But prohibitive measures work exactly the opposite: they reinforce stereotypes. The employer sees the woman not as an employee, but as an "insurmountable risk", and refuses even at the interview stage. A woman is forced to hide the presence of children or accept informal employment. Society continues to replicate the attitude that "a mother should stay at home until she is three years old," because it is allegedly too difficult and risky to go to work, Casamara sums up.
How difficult is it for mothers with young children to get a job
Statistics and real-world examples show that the labor market situation is heterogeneous. On the one hand, the data hh.ru evidence of high mobility: about 25% of women after maternity leave are considering the possibility of employment with a new employer. Nevertheless, due to high risks, 76% of women still return to their old place of work. On the other hand, the job search period for such candidates is objectively longer. According to Stanislav Tarakanov, "by about 20-40%."
However, there are also positive examples demonstrating a change in trend.
— Since the beginning of 2026, 727 women have been employed in the Vladimir region with the assistance of the human resources center "Work of Russia" — every second applicant has successfully found work in industry, trade, education and medicine. Moreover, 69 women got a job within the first ten days after registration, which is twice as much as in the same period last year. In the Krasnodar Territory, more than 2,500 vacancies from 266 employers were presented at the specialized job fair "Professional World of Women", sociologist Kasamara cites the figures.
In addition, career and entrepreneurial development programs are open for moms. The federal program "Mom Entrepreneur" (implemented by the Ministry of Economic Development as part of the national project "Efficient and Competitive Economy") has reached more than 15,000 women. Grant support at the regional stage has been increased to 150 thousand rubles, and the winners of the federal stage receive up to 1 million rubles. As Casamara notes, "the key factor for success is not marital status, but willingness and desire to work."
Why are young mothers the best employees
Despite persistent stereotypes, many experts and representatives of the HR community agree that the era of prejudice against young mothers is coming to an end, giving way to pragmatic calculation. Given the shortage of staff and the spread of hybrid work formats, businesses no longer perceive children as a hindrance.
— Candidates with experience combining work and parenthood often have a number of advantages: high discipline, the ability to prioritize tasks, and resistance to multitasking. For an employer offering a flexible schedule or part—time employment, a young parent may turn out to be a more motivated and loyal employee than a specialist without family obligations, sociologist Casamara emphasizes.
Sergey Yaskin draws attention to the fact that young mothers often demonstrate a high level of responsibility and developed time management skills.
In hh.ru It is also noted that this particular category of employees, provided flexible conditions are provided, is ready to respond with high returns.
Additionally, the situation is leveled by the spread of the practice of "decree" among fathers. Kasamara cites data from the Ministry of Labor: over the past year, the proportion of men taking parental leave for up to one and a half years has increased from 20% in 2024 to 32% in 2025. This removes the gender coloring from the question: the employer understands that any parent can take parental leave, and this is no longer a "young mother's problem", but a standard personnel situation. As a result, as Casamara summarizes, for a modern entrepreneur, young mothers are "not a risk group, but a resource that, with a competent approach, provides stability and efficiency."
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