Self-employed will limit working hours from October 1, who will be affected by the new rule

From October 1, 2026, Russia will begin to take into account the duration of work of the self-employed through digital platforms. For a number of areas, a limit is set - no more than 60 hours per month per customer for any six months in a row.

The new rule concerns platforms through which performers find orders and part-time jobs. These include, for example, delivery and taxi services, vacancies and various online services for finding customers.

This is not a general ban on self-employed people working more than 60 hours a month. The restriction applies to the load of one customer through the platform, if his activities are included in the established list.

It includes construction, trade, warehousing and logistics, transport, catering and food production, building maintenance, real estate, education, IT and software development. The rule also applies to recruitment, advertising, sports, recreation and entertainment.

Such a mechanism should distinguish between regular part-time work and actually permanent employment, when a person performs work for a long time for one company, but instead of labor relations, cooperates with it as self-employed. In the latter case, the employee does not receive labour-related guarantees, such as paid leave and sick leave.

The new requirements will come into force on October 1, 2026 and are calculated until October 1, 2032. They are introduced as part of the regulation of the platform economy, which establishes the rules for the operation of digital platforms that act as intermediaries between customers and performers.