Russian authorities planning to make it illegal not to hire ex-soldiers

The Russian authorities plan to ban employers in the country from denying people jobs on the grounds of disability or previous military service.

According to the outlet RBC, the proposed amendments to the Russian Labor Code were drafted by the Presidential State-Legal Directorate and have been “partially approved” by the Labor Ministry.

Russia’s current Labor Code prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, skin color, nationality, language, origin, property status, family status, or social status, as well as banning employers from refusing to hire women for reasons related to pregnancy or children.

Under the new proposal, RBC reported, it would also be illegal to deny employment to veterans who have completed their service within the last year and disabled people, as long as the candidates meet the qualifications for the job and are not unfit to perform the required work for medical reasons.

The draft amendments have reportedly been sent to a State Duma working group but have not yet been considered by lawmakers.