End to gray salaries? The Ministry of Labor will force marketplaces to hire employees under the Labor Code
June 9, 2026
The Ministry of Labor is discussing with businesses a draft amendment to the Labor Code to finally distinguish labor relations from civil law ones. The main goal is to put an end to the practice of "gray" schemes, especially in marketplace warehouses where employees work without full contracts, reports the newspaper "Vedomosti".
Minister of Labor Anton Kotyakov emphasized: the work of an employee in a platform warehouse is no different from working in a regular retailer's warehouse and should be formalized as labor activity. The key criterion will be the employee's participation in the employer's unified technological process.
- What is changing: The draft proposes adding 11 signs of labor relations to the Labor Code instead of the current 10. The new point will concern the performance of functions integrated into the employer's economic activities.
- Flexibility is preserved: According to the minister, nothing prevents the employer from offering a flexible schedule through an employment contract, without resorting to dubious schemes.
It is important to note that these amendments will not affect relations between performers and customers on digital intermediary platforms. This area is regulated by a separate law on the platform economy, which will come into force in October.
