The federal law that kindled heated public debate entered into force on 14 October 2018.

Employers who fire pre-retirees or refuse to employ them for no valid ground can now be subjected to a criminal liability.

A separate article 144.1 has been introduced into the Russian Criminal Code to this end. The article provides for two types of sanction:

• a fine of up to RUB 200,000 or in the amount of the salary or other income of the convicted person over a period of up to 18 months; and

• mandatory work for up to 360 hours.

Pre-retirement age is deemed to be a period of up to 5 years before an individual is allocated a state pension owing to his/her age.

Acsour is monitoring the development of court practice regarding the new statutory amendments and will inform you as to how such amendments are implemented in reality.