Russia: unvaccinated workers may be facing mandatory unpaid leave

As Russia registers a new peak in Covid-19 cases and as the inoculation campaign struggles to make progress, official authorities have made an unexpected announcement. Russian media is reporting that Minister of Labour, Anton Kotiakov has stated that in the regions where vaccination is mandatory, businesses may suspend staff who have not been vaccinated from work for the length of time corresponding to duration of the relevant decrees that have established the requirement. The Moscow region has taken steps in this direction, and requires that 60% of workers in the service industry (hairdressers, taxi drivers, shopkeepers, teachers, artists, etc.) be vaccinated by mid-August. While health-related decisions do vary widely per region, seven other local executives have also taken action, according to Russian media quoted by AFP. Russia’s vaccination campaign started in December 2020 but only 13.5% of the population has received at least one dose. In recent weeks, the number of new cases has doubled and St. Petersburg is also one of the cities hosting the UEFA EURO 2020 soccer competition.