Russian Trade Unions Outline Conditions for Missing Work Due to Extreme Weather
Russia's workers can skip work during extreme weather—without fear of firing
Employees in Russia have the right to stay home during extreme weather events and natural disasters, provided they notify their employer in advance, Aleksei Bezyukov, chief labor inspector of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (FNPR), told RIA Novosti.
Heavy snowfall, wildfires, floods, and earthquakes—such emergencies allow those not involved in disaster response efforts to refrain from going to work, Bezyukov explained. The key requirement, he stressed, is to inform the employer about the situation as soon as possible.
Workers can substantiate hazardous conditions with official weather service reports, updates from transport authorities, or media coverage, he added.
While labor law does not explicitly define a "valid reason" for absence, court rulings—including decisions by Russia's Supreme Court—often side with employees in such cases.
"Courts... take the worker's side, preventing employers from firing someone for truancy under these circumstances," the FNPR representative concluded.
The statement follows a wave of severe weather across Russian regions. In late December, Sochi saw 20–30 millimeters of precipitation, while Yalta recorded 27 millimeters on January 11. On January 12, the Moscow region received 20% of its monthly precipitation in a single day. Heavy snow continues in Krasnodar Krai, with drifts reaching 10–12 centimeters in the steppe zone, while a blizzard on the Kamchatka Peninsula is forecast to last through the end of the workweek.
