Labor Corps: Russia may allow twice as many overtime workers

In Russia, overtime restrictions may be drastically relaxed: now the upper limit is 120 hours, and it is planned to increase it to 240. The Cabinet of Ministers approved such a bill by the Ministry of Economic Development. The amendments will close the need to create 48.8 thousand additional jobs in a number of industries, their authors believe. However, employers often do not take into account overtime at all, while regular overtime is one of the most subtle but destructive forms of workload, experts recalled. For more information, see the Izvestia article.

Why increase overtime limits

The number of overtime hours can be doubled in Russia. The government commission on legislative activity approved such a bill by the Ministry of Economic Development on Monday, December 8, sources in the Cabinet of Ministers told Izvestia.

Currently, the duration of overtime work should not exceed four hours for two consecutive days and 120 hours per year. The first two hours of overtime must be paid at least one and a half times the salary, and the following hours must be paid at least twice the amount.

The possibility of increasing the duration of overtime to 240 hours per year, according to the proposed changes, should be fixed in a contract or agreement, explained Vladimir Gruzdev, Chairman of the Board of the Russian Bar Association.

According to opinion polls, overtime work is in demand among Russians. About 90% are willing to work like this, while 28% agree to it for the sake of additional income.

"The current legal regulation does not allow processing to be treated as overtime, which is why only 11% of all employees receive additional pay," the authors emphasize. "Establishing the possibility of increasing the maximum number of hours will solve this problem."

But the 120-hour overtime limit will remain in place for part-timers who work in state and municipal institutions.

What are the risks of recycling

The amendments will make it possible to offset the need to create 48.8 thousand additional jobs in certain industries, the authors of the bill note. These include, for example, manufacturing, construction, trade, transportation, and storage.

"The implementation of the draft law will contribute to increasing the working time and productivity fund, overcoming the shortage of highly qualified personnel, and increasing the competitiveness of certain categories of workers. It will also reduce excessive requirements for the employment and dismissal of employees," the explanatory note says.

Currently, the unemployment rate in Russia is 2.2%. According to the forecast of the Ministry of Labor, almost 12.2 million people will need to be replaced by 2032, taking into account new jobs and citizens retiring.

The need for the bill arose due to a shortage of personnel, says Sofya Lukinova, head of the legal department at VMT Consult. Employers offer their own employees to close the missing functionality by overworking.

— There is indeed a problem of accounting for overtime, — the expert reminded. — Firstly, it is difficult to take into account the actual time worked. Especially now, when some of the work issues can be closed, thanks to a smartphone, or when some things can be done from a home computer. This is actually blurring the line between personal and working time.

In addition, practices in small and microbusiness are poorly monitored and supervised by the State labor Inspectorate if there are no direct complaints, which leads to abuse. For example, in the form of fines for other violations of labor discipline, which avoids overpaying for additional work.

"Responsibility for engaging in unpaid work begins when direct complaints are received," she said.

Chronic overtime is one of the most subtle but destructive forms of workload, said Maria Todorova, a family psychologist.

— Long-term processing affects the internal state of the employee, — the expert explained. — Constant tension, the feeling that a person does not have time to recover, leads to a decrease in emotional resources.

Younger children are especially sensitive to this. During this period, a basic trust in the world is formed. When a significant adult regularly disappears, for example, for work, the child begins to perceive this as instability.

— His psyche is not yet able to distinguish the reasons for the absence, he simply records: "they are leaving me," the psychologist added. — It affects confidence, emotional stability and the ability to build relationships in the future. In addition, long-term overwork can push parents to emotional distance.

According to Maria Todorova, a person who is constantly tired involuntarily tries to reduce the number of stimuli, including communication. This is not a conscious decision, but a defensive reaction. Therefore, excessive workload at work inevitably affects family relationships, the expert emphasized.

What else will be changed in labor policy

The amendments of the Ministry of Economic Development expand the list of grounds for termination of an employment contract if an employee has committed a single gross violation of labor duties — embezzlement, Vladimir Gruzdev added.

Now, according to the Labor Code, in order to terminate an employment contract in such a case, an appropriate court decision or an administrative offense order is required. Now it is proposed to supplement these conditions with new grounds: they will be fired for embezzlement or embezzlement and upon termination of criminal prosecution, when a court fine is imposed, as well as for non-rehabilitating circumstances.

The bill also doubles the number of employees of small businesses with whom fixed-term contracts can be concluded: from 35 people to 70.

Another innovation concerns the possibility of sending employees a notice of their dismissal by registered mail with a delivery notification or electronically via the digital platform "Work in Russia".