Russian Lawmakers Propose Right to One Remote Day Per Week for Large Families and Carers

The Proposal: One Remote Day a Week for Specific Groups

On 30 July, deputies from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) will introduce a bill in the State Duma that would amend the Labour Code to give certain categories of employees a legally enforceable right to work remotely or on a flexible schedule for at least one day a week. The initiative explicitly covers parents of large families, single mothers and fathers, parents of children with disabilities, and individuals caring for a person with a Group I disability.

Under the draft law, an employer would be required to review an employee’s request for such a work arrangement within three working days. If the nature of the job allows it, the parties would sign an additional agreement to the employment contract, and by mutual consent the number of remote or flexible days could be increased. Crucially, any transition to a remote or flexible schedule cannot be used to reduce the employee’s salary, alter their duties, or change other terms of the contract.

Where the job cannot be performed remotely or flexibly, the employer must provide a written, reasoned refusal. The bill does not grant an unconditional right to work remotely — it only mandates consideration of the request and a justified response. The move builds on existing Labour Code provisions that already permit consensual flexible work patterns, as noted earlier by Labour Minister Anton Kotyakov, but shifts the balance by compelling employers to engage with requests from specific categories of workers.

Who Gains, Who Loses, and What the Bill Would Change

The Political Calculus Behind the Bill

The LDPR, a party often blending nationalist rhetoric with social welfare promises, is framing the bill as a "firmly entrenched right" for families and carers. Leader Leonid Slutsky’s emphasis on the Labour Code highlights an electoral promise aimed at voters struggling with care responsibilities. For the government, the initiative echoes a broader, Kremlin-adjacent discourse on supporting large families, but it stops short of a universal right to remote work — limiting it to categories seen as deserving of special protection.

Impact on Employers: New Obligations, Not New Costs

For businesses, the most immediate change would be procedural: every eligible employee’s request must be processed within three days, and any refusal must be documented with a reasoned explanation. That creates a small administrative burden, particularly for smaller firms without robust HR infrastructure. The prohibition on salary cuts or altered duties protects workers from hidden demotions, but it also prevents employers from using the one-day arrangement to quietly reduce costs. Industries where on-site presence is essential — manufacturing, retail, transport — are most likely to reject requests, but they will need to craft defensible refusals, potentially exposing them to disputes if reasoning is deemed insufficient.

Workers’ Ripple Effect: From One Day to a Cultural Shift?

For the named beneficiary groups, the bill, if passed, would offer a legally backed avenue to ease the tension between caregiving and employment. The one-day minimum is modest, yet even a single guaranteed remote day could reduce commuting stress and improve family logistics. Over time, the norm of a statutory right could increase pressure on employers to accommodate more flexible arrangements, especially in white-collar sectors where remote work is already technically feasible. However, the bill does not address monitoring or equipment costs, leaving practical implementation open to case-by-case negotiation.

Preparing for the Bill: Steps for Workers and Businesses

The bill is still at an early legislative stage, so no immediate changes apply. Affected parties should however note what is in the draft so they can prepare:

• For workers covered by the categories (large families, single parents, carers of disabled): The bill would not automatically grant a remote day, but you would gain the right to submit a formal request. Start documenting how your role could be performed remotely one day a week, as that justification will matter if the law passes.
• For business owners and HR departments in Russia: Monitor the bill’s progress through the Duma committees. Begin reviewing job descriptions to assess which roles could feasibly accommodate a weekly remote or flexible day, and prepare template responses for the eventual three-day response window.
• For trade unions and employee representatives: The bill, as drafted, allows the number of remote days to be increased by mutual agreement. This opens the door to negotiating sector-specific enhancements, so early engagement with employer associations could strengthen the final law or collective agreements.