Job quotas: South Ural disabled people face employment challenges

If the company employs from 36 to 100 employees inclusive, then two percent of jobs should be occupied by workers with disabilities, and if the company employs more than a hundred specialists, the quota for disabled persons increases to three percent. But this year, 33 South Urals with visual disabilities are out of work, and several more may lose their jobs later this year.

As the chairman of the Chelyabinsk regional organization of the All-Russian Society of the Blind Alexander Rozhkov said, the jobs that were occupied by the members of the organization were simply eliminated. The employer, with whom the agreement was struck three years ago, warned of a planned two-month elimination of jobs.

There are no claims to the enterprise - its management did everything according to the law, but more than 30 disabled people who lost their jobs found themselves in a difficult situation: someone, having decided that the struggle is useless, quit a little earlier himself, someone now works on a voluntary basis - continues to perform their duties, but does not receive money for their work. At the same time, the law on quotas of jobs for residents with disabilities has not disappeared, it continues to operate.

Explaining its mechanism, Alexander Rozhkov drew attention to the fact that not every enterprise, which by law should employ disabled people, is ready to do so. Often everything depends on working conditions. For example, in an industrial enterprise, it is simply dangerous for a blind person to work. But in this case, the law provides for the lease of jobs by agreement. The regional branch of the All-Russian Society of the Blind took advantage of this opportunity three years ago.

An agreement was signed with one of the organizations, which allowed the Society of the Blind to employ in its branches and groups of disabled people, renting jobs from the enterprise. At the same time, the company itself paid all 33 employed wages. This approach is not considered a violation of the law, and it suited everyone: the employer, the regional society of the blind, and the participants of the public organization.

The agreement was supposed to be extended after three years, but instead the NGO received a notice at the end of June on the elimination of jobs from August 31.

A way out, it would seem, found — announced electronic auctions to find a new enterprise that would agree to employ South Urals with disabilities. The conditions are the same - a little more than 30 people need to be employed under the quota agreement. The starting price of the auction is 37 million rubles, but during the auction the amount fell to 2 million 300 thousand. This means that the wages of potential employees would be much lower than the subsistence minimum.

- We understand that e-trading allows businesses to save their money, as well as the heavy financial responsibility of paying salaries. But it is impossible to live on a salary of no more than two thousand rubles a month. Therefore, when the amount of the auction decreased to ridiculous, we refused further dumping, said Alexander Rozhkov.

Behind the dry numbers - the lives of people - those who belong to the socially unprotected category. They are willing and willing to work, but they are hostages. Everyone has their own story. According to Olga Grigorieva, a specialist in social work, a lawyer of the Kusin group of Zlatoust local organization of the All-Russian Society of the Blind, she was hired on September 1, 2023. The position involves the organization and conduct of various events for the disabled, legal advice on civil and social law. But after August 31, 2026, the agreement with Olga Grigorieva was not extended. As a result, more than 30 people could be left without her legal support.

- But while I work, because one of the employees resigned, and I was transferred to his quota, but it is valid until December 31, said Olga Grigorieva. - I don't know what to do next. To be honest, it was a blow to me. I have a law degree and I want to help people. I can do that. Work means a lot to me. For people with disabilities, work is a very important part of life. It teaches communication, helps to socialize.

A similar situation has developed in several other regions of the country. But, according to Alexander Rozhkov, in the Chelyabinsk region, this problem is especially difficult. At the same time, earlier public organizations uniting people with disabilities could conclude an agreement with an enterprise from any subject of the country. The Chelyabinsk Regional Society of the Blind used this opportunity - the organization cooperated with a company from Tyumen. However, the law was later amended to limit cooperation with enterprises within the region.

According to Alexander Rozhkov, enterprises are reluctant to conclude an agreement on quota employment for disabled people. According to the head of the regional branch of the society of the blind, this situation has developed due to the lack of preferences, for example, tax.

- I know that the government of the Sverdlovsk region supports its enterprises that employ people with disabilities by quota. There are certain preferences for enterprises of the Tyumen region, added Alexander Rozhkov. Perhaps, if the legislation of our region provided for any tax preferences for enterprises that hire people with disabilities, the situation would be better. Now we hope that the regional office for labor and employment will help solve the problem, since they still work closely with employers. But they also cannot order businesses to hire disabled people under a quota agreement.

In the Main Department for Labor and Employment of the population of the Chelyabinsk region, the department previously sent to the regional branch of the society of the blind a list of 92 enterprises that do not fulfill the quota, but are ready to cooperate. In August 2026, specialists of the regional department for labor and employment met with representatives of the society of the blind.

At the meeting, it turned out that South Urals with disabilities want to work in the already familiar structure of the public organization itself, where all work processes have been established for them. Therefore, the GU for Labor and Employment decided to focus on finding partners to conclude agreements on quotas for jobs.

- In response, the society of the blind conducted work with business and handed over to the General Directorate a list of 22 interested enterprises, the regional department for labor and employment of the population commented. Specialists of employment centers in the region independently contacted these organizations, established contacts, advised employers on legal issues of quotas. Since the parties determine the specific conditions of cooperation independently, by September we have formed and submitted to the society an updated list of enterprises with full contacts. According to feedback from the company, four companies have already moved to the stage of discussing the terms of the agreements. The prognosis is positive. Thanks to these four enterprises, about 30 people will be employed. In parallel, work continues on the direct employment of visually impaired people in other enterprises in the region. September was productive. The next working meeting is scheduled for the second half of October: we will sum up interim results and, if necessary, expand the pool of partner enterprises.

The Ministry also announced important statistics: as of August of this year, the enterprises of the region fulfilled a quota of 77.8 percent of the established state plan. Of the 10,048 quota seats, 7,818 are already occupied. However, 2,230 vacancies remain open.

“The key principle of the Main Directorate for Labor and Employment of the region is support, not punishment of business,” the ministry added. In the conditions of the moratorium on scheduled inspections, we rely on prevention: 48 consultative visits have been held since the beginning of 2026. Employers are provided with free explanation of requirements and help to eliminate shortcomings in a timely manner – 29 prescriptions and 5 warnings were issued – which allows businesses to avoid administrative fines.

Businesses have the right to comply with the law on quotas both by direct hiring and through agreements with partner organizations – such a flexible format is now actively used in the region. At the same time, the department recommends that employers actively use the opportunity of preventive visits to clarify existing issues, work out personnel processes and build a socially responsible company policy.