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The Moscow Times Moscow Guide – Winter 2008

Since the middle of autumn one of the most important topics of discussion, could only be … no, not the financial crisis… New Year! The winter issue of The Moscow Times Moscow Guide is entirely devoted to New Years celebrations. Seven great ideas for celebrating the “Night of Nights” will help readers finalise their plans and choose how and where to party, give fresh ideas and lots of practical advice.

And don’t forget – problems will come by themselves, but happiness and luck need an invitation. That why the more cheerful and light-hearted your celebration of the coming holiday is, the happier and more successful 2009 will be for you.

The Crisis: Signs of a Kremlin Fearful Of Unrest
Sociologist Yevgeny Gontmakher has painted a disturbing picture of what might emerge from the financial crisis, forecasting continued unemployment, huge protests and spreading violence.

Market Matters: Huge Grain Harvest No Boon for Farmers
This year Russia is enjoying the biggest grain harvest it has ever seen -- and farmers couldn't be more worried.



Tuesday, January 06, 2009 Updated at 31 December 2008 22:36 Moscow Time.

The Moscow Times » Issue 4024 » Business

Anna-Stefaniya Chepik Head of Corporate/ HR practice Pepeliaev, Goltsblat and Partners

Woman at Work in Russia: Is It a Man's World?

05 November 2008By Olga Popova, Anna-Stefaniya Chepik / It is a fact that women have become increasingly active within the European labor force in recent years and there is no doubt that great strides have been made in the workplace over the last 50 years. Yet does this apply to Russia, or can it still be said that, for most Russian women, the workplace is very much a man's world?

To begin with, it is important to note that the significant developments in the female labor supply have attracted the attention of researchers all over the world. Participation in the work force by women has been studied in detail in many countries. But the main topics for discussion usually focus on the problems of discrimination, women's wages, unearned income, labor market conditions, number of children, years of education and age.

An eternal problem for almost all women is the dilemma between working in a business and domestic activities such as performing housework and caring for children. This is especially true if the decision to join the work force has been brought about by economic pressure. Especially in big cities, there has been a sharp rise in the number of single-parent families where the woman is the only breadwinner for an underage child.

The acute nature of this question was underlined in former President Vladimir Putin's annual message to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in 2006. He specified that women are frequently compelled to choose between giving birth to a child and being able to go out to work. The same problem applies regarding a woman's return to work after giving birth to a child.

On the one hand, Article 19 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation states that men and women shall enjoy equal rights and freedoms and have equal opportunities to exercise them. Yet nowadays, given the fierce job competition, employers prefer employees who are ready to do overtime, shoulder increased workloads and are flexible in emergencies.

Olga Popova Junior Attorney Pepeliaev, Goltsblat and Partners

It is important to mention that, today, the Russian legislative base includes adequate anti-discrimination rules. Article 3 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation states that everyone has equal opportunities to exercise their labor rights. "No one can be restricted in their labor rights and freedoms or obtain any advantages, irrespective of their sex, as well as other factors not relevant to the professional qualities of the employee." While some employers generally may prefer male workers and consider certain jobs to be more suitable for men, it is a fact that the labor market in Russia is rather complicated and the shortage of highly-skilled employees is keenly felt. The results of such employees' work do not depend on their sex. The demand for highly skilled specialists virtually compels employers to create special grants and additional guarantees for pregnant working women or women with children.

The Russian legislation provides a number of social privileges and guarantees for women. First, the Labor Code takes into account the trends secured in international documents concerning legal regulation of night work by women, which pregnant women are not supposed to perform. Overtime work from pregnant women is also not allowed. As the code says — "requesting overtime work from invalids and women who have children below the age of three is allowed only with their written consent." Second, a special procedure has been established with respect to holidays for pregnant women and women with children. One vital guarantee is that pregnant women cannot be dismissed except for cases of liquidation of the organization or termination of activities of individual entrepreneurs. By the way, the maximum maternity and birth allowance for a full calendar month is 24,000 rubles.

So few working women occupying top managerial positions are ready to leave work. Yet this situation practically pushes employers to create additional conditions for pregnant women, such as part-time work or work from home.

Consequently, it is important to mention that realization of such guarantees is a burden on employers.

On the one hand, the difficult situation on the labor market is influenced by the belief of employers and society that the woman's place is in the home. On the other hand, it is impossible to apply such a judgment to top managers and other senior or highly skilled staff.

In any case, highly skilled employees are will always be in demand, irrespective of their sex and other factors.