Belarus Wants To Extend The Work Break

• 11.11.2026, 12:10

The new rule will not affect everyone.

Belarus is preparing a new version of the “Labor Protection” law. One of the changes will affect work breaks: the pro-government Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FTUB) has proposed increasing their minimum duration. The initiative has already been included in the draft law, according to BelTA.

The new provision will apply to those who work outdoors in extreme temperatures—that is, both in severe cold and in extreme heat. For such workers, it is proposed to set a minimum duration of special breaks at no less than 10 minutes.

As explained by the FPB’s chief technical labor inspector Pavel Manko, there have been problems with this in the past. In some organizations, breaks were granted only nominally—literally for just a couple of minutes—and even among workers in the same profession, rest periods could vary depending on the employer. A uniform minimum threshold should eliminate this disparity.

Pro-government labor unions are proposing other changes as well. In particular, they want to include provisions in the law stating that employers must support the training and promotion of public labor safety inspectors. These are company employees who, in addition to their primary duties, monitor compliance with safety requirements, identify risks, and help address violations.

In addition, the new version will clarify employers’ rights and obligations regarding occupational safety. It is also proposed to introduce the concept of “occupational risk management,” which encompasses a range of measures: from identifying hazards in the workplace to assessing risks and eliminating or reducing them.